


What comes after the storm

by brckenmartyr



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Marvel - Freeform, post Endgame, winterwitch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-24 23:51:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 61,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20714618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brckenmartyr/pseuds/brckenmartyr
Summary: Set post Endgame. There is a void the remaining Avengers struggle to fill, as all of them try to pick up the pieces after the fateful battle against Thanos. But out of darkness, light is born and sometimes it comes in the form of relationships that mend the heart and heal the soul.





	1. Stars

**CHAPTER 1 - STARS**

There was an echo of her footsteps reverberating from the marble walls of the dimly lit corridor, as Wanda quietly made her way down towards the only source of light, coming from the kitchen area. She briefly stopped in front of one of the high windows, gaze drifting over the skyline of the city, that almost looked like a display of a thousand stars, gleaming in the dead of night. It was never entirely dark here and it made Wanda miss her actual home. A place long lost and almost forgotten to most, erased from all maps of the world by Ultron. But to her, Sokovia would always live on inside. It had never been a home, not really. Marked by war and poverty, she had never felt safe there, even before her parents had died. But most of her happy memories in life had been collected there, so not everything had been bad. Home was where the heart was and hers had been buried in the ruins of a lost country, with all the people she lost.

Approaching the open door, she was almost sure who she would find inside the kitchen, even without using her powers. It had become a nightly ritual lately, as sleep was a luxury hard to come by. Dying was a funny thing. It happened quickly, without any time to fight it and yet brought nothing but peace along with it. Being alive again was the real hardship, one Wanda was only slowly adjusting to.  
Death had been kind to her. She had embraced it as it came and went willingly, because it took away all her sorrow, pain and trauma. Now that she was back, so were the memories of all the terrible things she had witnessed in her life and she was at a loss of what to do with herself. There was something growing inside of her that was getting harder to control. Thanos had only ever faced the tip of the iceberg on the battlefield. The danger lay underneath the surface, where she was still able to bottle it up for now, but she knew that her emotions threatened to unleash a power the world had never seen before and Wanda didn't want it to come this far. Yet – her anger and grief were hard to swallow down, when all they did mostly was just sit around and plan their next moves.

The former Stark Tower had graciously been given to them as a home base for now by Mrs. Potts, given that the compound was barely more than rubble. Those who had been left of their team, were now homeless and lost, like driftwood on a raging river amidst a storm. They had lost their leaders, their life lines. The three people who had always been there to tell them what to do, where to go next and neither one of them was prepared to step up and fill their shoes, because that just wasn't possible. So Fury and insisted on giving them space. There was no imminent threat, which meant that they had the luxury of being able to pick up the pieces of everything they had lost in the fight against Thanos.  
And all of them craved a distraction.

Stepping into the kitchen, she found Bucky sitting at the table, a mug of coffe next to him, a newspaper spread out before him, as if he was already enjoying an early morning breakfast at 3am. “There's tea for you on the counter”, he said without even looking up, and the corners of Wanda's mouth curled into a small smile. This was just HOW much their late night meetings had become a habit. He knew she didn't like coffee, so he made her tea, whenever he was the first one to be up.  
“Thank you”, Wanda said softly and walked over, taking the can and pouring the hot liquid into a mug, before returning to the table and sitting opposite of him, emerald eyes scanning his dark features. She had cut his hair a few days ago and almost missed the messy strands that would fall into his eyes while he read. They had given him a boyish charm that gave her a glimpse of the 1940's soldier, who had joined the army at 18 and never truly returned from war.

“Have you been up for long”, she asked, taking a sip of the hot brew and marveling at the fact that he always made it perfectly. Never too strong, never too weak.

“An hour or so. Heard the furniture move upstairs, so I knew you wouldn't be long and made tea.” Bucky finally raised his eyes from the newspaper and smiled slightly, folding the paper up and putting it aside.  
“Thanks again. And sorry. I didn't mean to be loud”, Wanda mumbled, blushing and averting her gaze. Sometimes when she slept and nightmares plagued her, she lost control over her powers a little and would wake up to a levitating bedroom, all furniture flying through the air. The massive items didn't always land quietly.

“Nothing in there?”  
She pointed at the folded newspaper and only earned a shake of his head. He had been looking for clues that something was brewing out there, something that required the Avengers. All of that had been doing that for weeks now, as if they didn't know another state but war anymore. It was etched into their bones and without it, all of them were left to their own demons.  
“Come on, I'll show you something”, Bucky finally said, after a moment of silence, in which they both just quietly drank their beverages. Quietness between them was never uncomfortable, because they both knew how to enjoy it.  
Rising from his chair, he held a hand out for Wanda to take and pulled her after him, out of the kitchen and back down the dark corridor, towards the living area and then terrace. Shivering slightly at the sudden cold, she looked up at him questioningly, as he pointed at the sun chairs no one ever used.  
“I used to sit on the roof of our house with Steve sometimes, when we were kids. Ma always went to bed early, so we could sneak out and look at the stars. The air is a lot worse than back then and it's most often cloudy, but tonight there are a million stars. And it's supposed to be a shooting star night.” Smiling crookedly, he handed her a woolen blanket and sat down on one of the chairs, waiting for Wanda to settle down as well.  
“So we're gonna watch the stars tonight?”  
“Yup. And you can make a wish, if you see a shooting star.”

“Is that what people do?”  
Bucky laughed softly and looked over incredulously.  
“You never did that in Sokovia? Of course you have to wish on a shooting star. It brings luck. We could use some of that, right?”  
The mood was a lot lighter that night than usual and Wanda liked it.  
Smiling widely, she mustered him for a moment, before directing her gaze at the sky, scanning it for something that moved.  
“There are too many airplanes”, she complained, because every time she thought she had seen something, it turned out to be one.  
“Just keep looking. You'll see one.”  
Glancing over, she pouted a little, before chuckling and looking back up. They sat in silence for a long time, before Bucky finally saw that gleaming light moving across the sky they had been waiting for.  
“There! Make a wish”, he blurted out, pointing up and turning towards Wanda, just to realize she had fallen asleep in her chair, bundled up in the blanket he had given her previously.  
Smiling slightly, he reached over and pulled it up a little, to make sure she was warm, before relaxing back into his own chair.  
“I made a wish for you, too. Just in case”, Bucky whispered and looked back up at the sky.


	2. The call

Wanda was surprised to wake up in her own bed the next morning. She remembered falling asleep outside on the terrace, the warmth of the blanket and previous tea lulling her into a deep slumber. Stretching now, she checked the clock next to her bed and was stunned to realize it was already noon. Why had no one woken her up? Then again, they usually had nothing to do anyway, so they had just let her catch up on some much needed sleep.  
Slipping out from under the blankets, she opened the door to her closet, filled with new clothes she had been given recently. Everything they had owned had vanished in the snap. After being a refugee for years before it, Wanda hadn't owned much to begin with. Only so much she could pack in under five minutes and leave if need be, so she didn't miss much. Losing all material belongings was something she was used to. She had lost all she had when the missile hit their house, then while living on the streets, when joining Hydra and when Ultron erased her whole country. Material things didn't matter to her anymore. They could be replaced, unlike people.  
Pulling out a black, simple T-Shirt dress, she threw her pajamas aside and put it on, grabbing a hair tie from her table and pulling her hair up into a bun. This room still felt like a hotel room. There was nothing personal about it and Wanda didn't want to make herself too comfortable, knowing that the reconstruction of the Avengers compound was underway and they would have to leave at some point again anyway.

Still.  
There were moments in which she longed for a home. One like Clint had, far away from everything. A place of her own she could come back to after missions, not a shared space with the rest of the team. Living with them was mostly fun and uncomplicated, but it reminded her of not having anything of her own. The building belonged to Pepper, so did everything inside. In a way, she was still a refugee, living off of other people's money. Maybe one day that would change.

Leaving her room, she walked downstairs to the big living room area, where Sam and Bucky were seemingly fighting over paper boxes of food. A chopstick flew across the table and almost landed in Bucky's annoyed face, before he slid a box over back to Sam, who looked content. Sometimes they were like kids.  
“Morning, sleeping beauty. There's a box of grilled veggies and rice somewhere for you”, Sam greeted and grinned, before shoving a spring roll into his mouth. Wanda knew that no one here ate vegetables voluntarily as it seemed, so she was left with what the boys didn't want. She didn't mind, though, because she liked it. As someone who had lived on the street for a long time in her life, she wasn't picky when it came to food.  
“Thanks. Anything planned for today?”  
Both of the others looked up briefly and shook their heads, before returning their attention to the food. 'Nothing planned' usually meant working out, bickering and being annoyed of each other by 6 o'clock, so Wanda rarely joined in and stayed on her own. She had never been really sociable, because being a twin had not made it necessary, since she always had her best friend right by her side. Luckily, no one here was much different, except for Sam, who always tried to lure them out of their shells. Bucky was a quiet, gruff recluse who rather stayed on his own as well and Rodney only dropped in every now and then. No one really knew what he did the rest of the time, but no one asked either.

A beeping sound alerted all three of them and they looked up from their food, brows furrowing. “The raccoon is calling. Your turn, Sam”, Bucky said, swallowing down his food with a very content expression on his face, because he didn't have to deal with Rocket that day. The 'alien gang', as Sam called them, still checked in regularly, but in Rocket's case, those conversations were hardly ever substantial. Most of the time, he tried to persuade Bucky to sell him his arm. With a moan, Sam got up from the table and headed into the next room to take the call, while the other two stayed behind.  
“Thanks for taking me to bed”, Wanda said, after a moment of silence, looking up at Bucky.  
“Couldn't have left you out there, could I? Would've been a bit rude”, he replied, a smile playing around his lips.  
“You missed the shooting stars, though. I expect more stamina next year when they return. Can't have you sleeping on all of those wishes again.”  
Wanda laughed softly and gave him a short nod. “I promise, I'll be better. You could have woken me up, though.”  
“Nah. I was glad you finally slept. You looked like a ghost the last days. Now there's a little color back in your cheeks.”  
Wanda smiled sheepishly and opened her mouth to retort something, when Sam came hurrying over from the next room, looking utterly delighted.

“It wasn't the beaver! It was Happy. He's coming over now, because they have a mission for us. Buckle up, buttercups! Finally something to do!”  
“Eureka”, Bucky mumbled, stuffing the last bit of his food into his mouth and throwing the box into a nearby bin, before getting up.  
“Clean the kitchen, Wilson. It looks like a shithole here”, he huffed, before heading out to do whatever, leaving Sam squinting after him, before turning towards Wanda.

“Wanda, you're a gem, thanks for cleaning the kitchen, you'll do amazing”, he said cheerfully, before running out as well, leaving Wanda to tidy up their mess, who frowned after both of them and still did it with a sigh.  
Boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the sweet feedback I already got! I hope you like this short new chapter <3 stay tuned for more to come and leave me a note if you liked it! Winterwitch forever <3


	3. Hydra

The meeting with Happy was a brief one. All of them were given files containing the necessary information to read during the flight. The shortcut was easy: S.H.I.E.L.D had noticed conspicuous activity somewhere in the middle of Russian nowhere and wanted them to investigate, because chances were high that they were dealing with a Hydra base there. They were supposed to take over the building complex and gather information concerning what had been done there. A routine mission for their old team, but sitting in the conference room, it became painfully obvious once more, that people were missing.  
Bucky, Sam and Wanda were capable of doing the mission by themselves, but still – Cap, Tony and Nat should have been there with them. All three of them remained sitting long after Happy had already left and just flipped through the files. The quinjet was about to be started for them and that was as much preparation as they needed. Their suits were in the jet, so were their weapons. Looking up from the file in front of her, Wanda caught Bucky glancing at the empty seats in the room and she knew what he was thinking, even without his powers. He missed Steve. As much as they all appreciated the fact that he had been able to live a good life in the end and make up for the time he had lost frozen in ice, this team wasn't the same without him anymore. He had been the heart and the soul of the Avengers, because while Tony had financed everything and used his genius to equip everyone with the latest technology, Steve had been the one to knock at people's doors at night to see how they were doing after bad missions. He had listened and helped out whenever possible and Wanda missed that the most.   
Technically he was still alive, but no one bothered him with this stuff anymore. He had moved on from them, so they had to do the same.  
Rising when the others did as well, Wanda grabbed the folder and headed after them, trying not to think too much about the mission yet. The whole thing hit close to home for Bucky and her, because both of them had suffered at the hand of Hydra for many years. The idea of going near one of their bases again was nothing Wanda desired, but her suffering meant that no one else ever should again, so she was willing to put her personal issues with Hydra aside. She would unleash her powers and show them the monster they had created. Maybe it would feel satisfying to use her abilities to destroy them one by one.

The jet was loaded with everything they needed and already pre-set on auto pilot with the right destination in the system, so all they had to do was sit down and read the files. The information in it was sparse and didn't help much, so folders were quickly tossed aside, once the jet was in the air and everyone retreated into a corner to just sit and prepare. The flight was going to take a couple of hours, so the boys kept busy by going through all the weapons and picking their favorites, while Wanda sat in the cockpit and watched the clouds drift by. She had never considered using normal weapons in battle, because she simply never needed them. Her powers were strong enough to be an asset in any fight, so guns and blasters held no appeal to her. Nat had always tried to convince her to like them, but Wanda was biased. She had grown up in a war and saw the damage those weapons had caused among the civilians of the country, so she refused to touch them.  
Turning her head briefly, as she heard Sam and Bucky bicker again somewhere in the background, Wanda softly shook her head and turned her attention towards the clouds again, just to blend them out. These two. Always fighting and teasing each other over something, but Wanda was pretty sure that secretly they liked one another. 

They arrived in the middle of a pitch black, Russian night.   
The jet had landed on a clearing, a mile away from the compound, so that they wouldn't immediately alerts anyone. All they could make out as they stepped outside, were tall dark trees and starlight above their heads. The rustling of leaves and noises various nocturnal animals made, were the only sounds they heard as they walked in silence, cautiously treading towards the coordination they had been given. In the dark, Wanda's eyes glowed scarlet, as she let her mind wander to detect other people around them, by picking up on their thoughts. It wasn't uncommon to stumble over patrols or scouts when dealing with Hydra, so they had to be careful as they approached.  
She couldn't sense anyone in their immediate surrounding, however, yet Bucky's face was set and stern as they walked side by side and she could tell he was listening carefully as well. As a former assassin, he knew a few tricks to infiltrate military bases without being detected, and Wanda was glad to have him around. 

They stopped walking a few hundred meters away from the building complex. What they could see from the distance, were three buildings, the biggest one most likely the base, while the other two smaller ones were probably used for other purposes, such as research or storage.   
“They have 9 guards up on the roof of the main building”, Wanda whispered, as her powers picked up on nine different minds up there. “3 guards at the gate and 2 patrolling the fence.”  
That was as much as she could tell from there, so they couldn't be sure how many people were on the inside.  
“We're only three, so we'll have to be careful. We can't just walk in there without having a rough idea of how many people we're dealing with. So we'll have to scout first”, Bucky replied quietly, much to Sam's dismay, who was already stuffing guns into his holster, as if he was ready to go in now.  
Bucky's plan was smart, however, though it meant staying outside in a cold forest until the next morning arrived and they could tell how active the complex was. 

“So we're just gonna crouch here and wait?”  
“You're welcome to go back to the jet and spend the night there.”  
Sam huffed and didn't say anything else, while Bucky glared over at him, then returned his attention to the fenced complex.  
“Can you sense how many people are inside?”  
He was now talking to Wanda, eyes looking over at her. For a brief moment, she was caught off guard by how dark they seemed to be in the moonlight, like the surface of a bottomless lake, reflecting the starlight.  
“No. At least not without them noticing. I could let my energy reach inside and find out, but then they'd know we're here. I can hear them think, but it's too muddled up to distinguish their thoughts and tell how many people are currently thinking in there.”  
Bucky gave her a short nod, before raising his binocular to scan the perimeter again. “So we'll wait until morning.”  
“Has anyone brought a blanket? Food?”  
Now both Wanda and Bucky looked at Sam with annoyance, who just threw his hands in the air in defeat and went silent again.   
So they lay in the cover of a bush and waited, neither of them sure what time it actually was in Russia right now and how long it would be until the sun went up.  
At some point, Wanda's attention was caught by Bucky taking his jacket off and draping it over her shoulders with a little smile.   
“You looked cold. I don't really need it”, he said softly and Wanda returned the smile gently, pulling the jacket tighter around her body.  
“Thanks. I'm actually freezing”, she admitted with a chuckle and nudged his shoulder with her own. “You're such a gentleman sometimes, you know that? Just like Steve. It's the only way I can tell you were born in another century. Sam never gives me his jacket”, she joked, much to Sam's exasperation, who sat up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “That is entirely uncalled for, because I am wearing a SUIT. There is no jacket I could take off”, he complained, but grinned nonetheless.   
“You know what, since the two of you seem to have decided on bullying me, I will take a look around and see if I can get a better look from one of the other sides. You can keep on being lazy here in that bush”, he added, rising quietly from the ground and stalking off. Wanda's gaze followed him, until he vanished behind some of the trees, unsure whether this was a good idea, or not.  
“You really think I'm a gentleman?”  
She looked over at Bucky, who wore a quizzical expression on his features.  
“Yeah. You open doors for me and make me tea – and borrow me your jacket. Very good manners”, Wanda stated with amusement, because he looked so reluctant, as if he was unwilling to believe it.  
“Ya know, I was a bit of a lady's man back in the days. The uniform did help. But my ma brought me up well, so I was always...respectful, y'know. Might not have had marriage in mind, but I did open doors and brought all the girls back home before ten o'clock.”   
A genuine smirk played around his lips as he said that and Wanda laughed softly. “Ten? Wow. What would your ma think about our 2am tea dates in the kitchen, huh?”  
“She'd be outraged and probably slap me over the ears with a wooden spoon.”  
Now Bucky was laughing softly as well and for a short moment, both of them forgot that they were actually on a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so, so much for all the positive feedback I got so far! It makes me absolutely happy and motivates me so much to keep writing! Enjoy the newest chapter xxx


	4. Collateral damage

They moved the next morning.   
Sam had rejoined them sometime throughout the night with new intel, which had pleased Bucky enough to make a move a few hours later.  
Wanda had gone through some training, but none of that came even close to the experience Bucky had, so she trusted in his ability to judge the situation and merely followed. The whole thing seemed fairly easy. Take out the guards in the fence area, open the fence, take out everyone inside and send Fury the information he wanted.  
The fence was easy for Wanda to open, who just blasted it out of its hinges with her powers, simultaneously taking out some of the guards on the other side. With both Sam and her airborne, Bucky was the only one on the ground and they really had to keep an eye out for each other in the turmoil that ensured, making sure that no one was hurt.   
Compared to a battle against Thanos, this mission was a walk in the park. All they had to do was defeat humans and that was a task they were equipped for. One by one, the soldiers fell and it was obvious that they had taken everyone by surprise.  
Once the outside was cleared, both Sam and Wanda rejoined Bucky to move inside the building. Bucky insisted on going first, so they just followed him, all three on guard. The first corridor was entirely abandoned and only the flashing light of an alarm was a sign that their forced entry had been detected.   
When they went around a corner, they were met with gunfire and had to stop, Wanda slipping in front of the boys to creat a protective shield against the bullets, so that they could move forward again. She singlehandedly took out everyone in their way, until they reached the door of what seemed to be a laboratory. With an approving nod in her direction, that was borderline admiring, Bucky walked past Wanda, slipping through the door, which no longer had windows and blood splattered across its white front.

The inside was deserted. Most computers had been shut off and Wanda doubted they would find much on them anymore. Hydra wasn't stupid. They had done this for decades and knew how to vanish without a trace. Whatever had happened here, they would find very little of it. Walking around the room, she let her eyes wander over all the contraptions and instruments, not making much sense of it. Nothing here reminded her of the time she had spent with the organization, because as it seemed, this facility was designed for technological experiments.   
“Pack some of the things for Fury. Maybe he'll know what they do”, she heard Bucky tell Sam, before her attention was diverted, because her senses picked something up.  
“We're not alone”, she said softly, eyes moving towards a door at the back of the room. Bucky only briefly looked up, one brow raised.  
“Go knock yourself out, then. We'll pack some more of this stuff and grab some hard drives”, he said, seemingly not bothered much by her words.  
Wanda gave him a curt nod and moved towards the door, picking up some frantic thoughts in Russian behind it. She had learned some of it as a kid, but didn't speak it enough to entirely make out what the man was thinking, other than that he was terrified. Given he hadn't been fighting, she assumed it was one of the researchers left behind and decided a careful approach. Maybe he would be useful to them, if they treated him respectfully.  
Blasting the door down would have been one option, but Wanda went for the less intimidating one and just simply pulled it open.  
It was then that she was instantly met with a loud noise and a strange sensation flooding through her, that indicated something wasn't entirely right.  
Her brows knit into a frown and she stared down at the man in what appeared to be a closet, who was clutching a gun in trembling hands, sweat running down his face. He seemed desperate and she would have been sorry, if only the pain hadn't started to kick in.

“Oh...”, was all she could say, before her hands flew to her abdomen and pressed against the source pain, from which crimson had started to flow freely.  
Bucky had just ripped out half of a computer panel in the attempt to get a memory chip, as he looked up to see what Wanda was up to over there, immediately noting the blood dripping out from between her fingers.  
“Wanda???”  
His voice was almost terrified and he rushed over, Sam at his heels, grabbing the guy by his collar and slamming him face first into the wall, which was concrete and didn't budge, so the man's head did instead with a crunching sound.

“Shit shit SHIT! You're okay, it's gonna be okay. This isn't too bad”, he cursed as soon as he turned back and caught Wanda right in the exact moment her legs gave way. “Sam, send a message to Fury, we need medics somewhere along the way. We're not gonna fly all the way back to America. And grab the bags, we gotta move.”  
Sweeping Wanda up into his arms, she noted that both him and Sam looked terrified and pale, while she was entirely calm. She had died once, so a second time wouldn't be much different. Whatever happened, happened.   
“Keep your hands on the wound, okay? We just have to get back to the jet and I'll patch you up. Tell me something, anything. What was your favorite book as a kid”, Bucky asked, trying to keep her awake, as they hurried through the maze of corridors and back out into the sunlight. It was a one mile walk, so as soon as they were outside, he reconsidered and turned towards Sam.  
“Get the jet here, you'll be faster flying and we can't lose any time.”  
Sam took off right away, while Bucky carried Wanda out into the woods, where he hoped they would remain undetected, in case reinforcements had been called.

Setting her down carefully, he evoked a whimper from her and flinched.   
“Sorry. Gotta take a look at that, okay?”  
Carefully, he held her body up, while lifting the jacket on her back. “Exit wound, excellent. That's good. Now tell me about that book.”  
He leaned her against the trunk of a tree and started shredding his leather jacket, because he didn't have anything else to use as a makeshift bandage.  
“I didn't have books”, Wanda croaked, her face ashen now, with sweat forming on her forehead. “My mother told us stories. I don't even know if she could read. A lot of people from her generation never went to school. They had to work young to support the family. There was one story she told us about a boy in the jungle, who was adopted by wolves.”  
Bucky forced a smile, before pressing a strip of leather down on the wound. “That actually is a book. It's gonna hurt for a second”, he warned, before wrapping the diy bandage around her middle as tightly as possible. Wanda winced and for a second he thought she'd pass out, but her eyes remained focused on her.  
“Alright, worst is over. You'll get a lolly for being brave later on.”  
Reaching out, he brushed a strand of hair out of her face with a crooked smile, then looked up at the sky.  
“Hear that? Sam's almost here. You're gonna be just fine.” The lump in his throat grew at her miserable sight, knowing HE had been the one to send her over on her own, trusting she had everything under control. He should have known better. Accidents happened during missions, which was why it was always necessary to have someone watch your back. God, had the war taught him nothing? This one was on him.

Once Sam had landed they settled Wanda down on the floor of the jet, trying to make it as comfortable as possible.  
“We're gonna meet medics an hour from here, Fury arranged it. He just sent me the coordinates to the location”, Sam said, typing them into the console to start the autopilot. Bucky just gave him a curt nod and settled down next to Wanda, who had passed out and was looking almost peaceful.  
“You'll be fine”, he whispered, his hand coming up to briefly graze over her blood freckled face. When he saw Sam watching him out of the corner of his eye, he pretended to rub on the stains, just to have an alibi for touching Wanda like that.  
Damn, he really liked the girl and if anything happened to her...Getting up abruptly, he told Sam to watch her, before sitting down in the pilot seat and broodily watching the clouds drift by with high speed, counting the seconds for them to arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! New chapter up, hope you all like it! Stay tuned for more :) I hope I'll get a new chapter up tomorrow! Thanks for joining me on this ride and being so kind xxx


	5. The book

The sun was setting behind the buildings in the distance, tinting the whole small city a burnt orange. Bucky was standing by a window, arms crossed in front of his chest, jaw set. He hadn't moved from this spot in the last hour and whilst his blue eyes were fixed on the horizon, he had barely noticed the movement of the sun at all. His thoughts had been wandering the whole time, contemplating to send a message to Steve, just to get the nagging feeling of failure off his chest.   
This had been their first mission on their own and although Sam was the one to carry the Captain America shield now, they had never established a leader among them. So this disaster of a mission was technically on all of them, yet Bucky felt like it was mostly his fault. One of them had been hurt, because he hadn't been more careful. He couldn't blame Wanda for following his order, or for lacking experience in combat that he had more than enough of. No, this one was on him alone and he could have hit his fist through a wall in anger about his own insufficiency.

Right after they had returned and medical staff took care of Wanda, Bucky had headed out. Into the city, away from the safe house, just out. He had never been to this part of Russia, nor was it overly appealing, but the movement had cleared his head at least for a little while, as he had roamed through unknown streets, head low and hidden under a hood, both hands digging into his pockets. It reminded him of his time on the run, when he had picked towns like this for a reason, because it was so easy to be invisible here. Now the distance to the world they knew felt actually quite wrong.

Back at the safe house, he learned that Wanda would be okay. No major organ had been damaged by the bullet, so the doctors had just stopped the bleeding and closed her up, making sure she was hooked on antibiotics and fluids for the time being. Since they had sedated her for the procedure, she hadn't woken up yet, but Bucky was okay with that. He had to order his thoughts, before he could talk to her – or face her. Unfortunately, this apparently took him longer than anticipated, because by the time he heard her stir behind him, he was in just the same turmoil as he had been upon arrival. Nonetheless, now wasn't the right time to dwell on his mistakes anymore, because his focus lay solely with Wanda, who's peaceful, sleeping face was now slightly contorted into a grimace, as she slowly woke and no doubt felt the effect of being shot. Bucky's eyes wandered to the IV medication that hung by her bed, checking if she was on painkillers strong enough to get her through the night, had to guess that the nurse would come and give her something later on, once she had fully woken up.

Emerald eyes fluttered open groggily and for a moment fixed on blue ones, an expression of confusion etched upon Wanda's face, as she figured out where she was and why. It took her a second of looking around and inspecting her hand, before realization seemed to sink in.   
“Hey”, Bucky said softly, crouching down a little to put a hand on her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't try to sit up. “How do you feel?” There was worry in his tone that he couldn't shake off, no matter how much he was trying to play it cool.   
“I'm okay. Where are we?”  
“Safe house somewhere still in Russia. Fury sent us here, so you could get help.”  
He hesitated a moment, hand coming up to run through his ruffled hair.  
“Wanda, I'm -.”  
“- No”, she said determinedly with a shake of her head, lifting herself up in bed a little. “It wasn't your fault.”  
Bucky growled softly, because she knew exactly what he had been about to say and it annoyed him that she brushed him off like that, given his feeling of guilt was very dominant and real for him right now.  
“No, Wanda. I made the call to send you over and that was stupid. Someone should have had your back, because that's how missions go. We work together as a team and I made a stupid call that could have gotten you killed. I'm sorry.”  
Wanda sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over her pale face. “Bucky, I can watch my own back. I fought Thanos twice and went on many other missions before, so I made this mistake, not you. I trusted the bit of Russian I understood in his mind and thought he was just scared in there. I mean, he probably was, but I hadn't considered the weapon. Nevertheless – I am fine. And I'll finally have a battle scar, just like the rest of you. How cool is that?”  
She smiled crookedly at him and pointed at her stomach area.

Bucky huffed and moved closer again, sitting down on a chair next to her hospital bed. He reached out and grabbed something resting on the nightstand, which was thin, long and wrapped in newspaper.  
“Got you something. Sorry for the newspaper, it was the best I could do.”  
Now it was Bucky's turn to smile crookedly, as he handed the parcel to Wanda, who raised a brow and accepted it. As she unwrapped it, all Bucky could notice was the blood caked underneath her fingernails and the bitter feeling of guilt welled up in the pit of his stomach again, before her voice distracted him again.  
In her hands, Wanda help a copy of 'The Jungle Book', albeit a Russian version of it, since this small town didn't offer an English version. Her green eyes were wide as she looked at the cover picture, fingers running over the soft material, as the figures of the child, black panther and bear started to make sense.  
“You said that used to be your favorite story as a child”, Bucky said, clearing his throat slightly, because he suddenly felt idiotic for having bought it. Wanda was a grown woman, what was she supposed to do with a children's book she couldn't even read?   
“It's the Jungle Book”, Wanda laughed and as he looked up at her, his own cheeks flushed slightly red, he could see pure excitement in her tired face and no mockery at the gift.  
“I never had an actual book, only the stories mama would tell us. This is so wonderful, Bucky. Thank you so much.”  
She reached out and tugged at his hooded jacket, so that he had to lean closer and could receive a kiss on the cheek.  
“Do you know Russian? I can't read most of it”, she admitted, skipping through the pages with the eager excitement of a child at Christmas.  
“I can try”, he said and took the book from her, opening the first page back up again.  
“It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee Hills, when Father Wolf woke up from his day's rest...”

As the story started to fill the space between them and shadows of the last vanishing sunrays danced across the walls, Bucky could almost forget the events of the days. His metal hand was holding the book, while the other had reached for Wanda's, and so they sat together, reading a book about a little boy who lived with wolves, until he realized that the young woman had fallen asleep at some point and quietly put a piece of paper between the page he had left off, so they could find it again the next day. Leaning back on his chair, he knew he was going to spend the night there, so he stretched out his legs, crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched her sleep, until he, too, dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gals! Sorry this took a bit longer, I was super duper busy at work and in my private life, so my motivation to write was zero. Hope you like the new chapter! Also a small disclaimer: I am not a native speaker of English, so if I butcher your language in the course of this fanfic: i am so very sorry xD. Lemme know in the comments what you think about the new chapter!


	6. Recovery

“Alright, take it easy”, Bucky warned, as his regular hand gripped tightly around Wanda's arm, steadying her as she rose up from the bed. She had been in bed for a couple of days now and the doctor's had ordered her to move around a bit, to get her blood pressure up and her system going again. She was definitely more than ready for it, because being in bed didn't suit her. It was boring, someone always felt responsible for keeping her company and her mind had too much time to wander.   
“I am taking it easy, stop worrying”, she huffed, but couldn't stop herself from chuckling slightly. Bucky had only left her room to get a shower every now and then and last night she had convinced him to finally sleep in a proper bed and not the chair next to hers. As much as she appreciated his company, Wanda was well aware of the fact that he felt responsible for what had happened to her and she wanted to hear nothing of it. Her own recklessness had led to the incident and not his order to eliminate a potential threat. She should have known better, so it definitely wasn't on him. Bucky, however, didn't seem to accept that.

Placing one foot in front of the other, Wanda couldn't help but feel a little dizzy. Due to the blood loss, she hadn't really moved at all in the last days and mostly spent her time sleeping, induced by the strong painkillers they had given her. It felt glorious to be up again, though her overall physical health didn't seem to agree just now. Her legs felt numb and wobbly as she walked, but it improved with every step towards the window, where Bucky had propped up a chair, so that she could watch the sun set in the distance. As long as she was up, even sitting would do her some good.   
“You're doing good, just tell me when you're unwell”, he said softly, worried blue eyes fixing on her emerald ones for a brief moment, before he lowered her gaze again, helping her to sink into the chair.   
“I'm fine. It feels good to be up again. We should probably head back home soon, right? They are probably waiting on our mission report.”  
Bucky pulled a chair up for himself and shook his head slightly.  
“First you get well, then we'll go back home. Fury can wait. Sam has transmitted the data we collected and everything else is just not that important right now. It's not like we found anything major there. You're more important than that.”  
A crooked smile crept on Wanda's lips and she looked over at him, mustering his profile for a second.   
“One could think you're a bit biased in your judgment here”, she teased, earning herself a huff and confused expression from him, as well as silence for the time being. He was indeed biased when it came to the decision of staying or leaving, because he cared about her. Wanda had been lucky to survive the gunshot at all, so he was going to make sure that she took her time to heal. Unlike Steve and him, she recovered like every ordinary human did, which made the process a longer one, but he was more than willing to give her the time. As long as she got back to her old self in the end, it was all worth it.

“So, now that we have finished the _Jungle Book_, you'll have to tell me your favorite childhood book to read, so that we can continue our late night sessions.”

Wanda's voice finally broke the silence and Bucky looked up at her, his eyes taking her in as she spoke. She had dark circles under her eyes, skin pale and almost translucent in the last light of the day, her veins visible underneath it. He could still see small traces of blood on her hairline and ear, which no one had cared to wipe away, and he stared at it for a moment, the knot in his stomach tightening, before he remembered her question.  
“I don't really remember”, he replied honestly, shrugging with one shoulder. “I don't think I was much of a reader as a boy. I liked a couple when I was older, but I was mostly out playing and keeping Steve out of trouble back then. No time for books and stories.” His gaze dropped down to his hands and he smiled slightly at the memories of himself and Steve as boys, always getting into trouble, always up to mischief. “I'll bring you another book tomorrow. You'll have to survive without a goodnight story today, I'm afraid.”  
Wanda laughed softly and Bucky marveled at how much it lit up her whole face. It often surprised him that someone who had suffered so much and survived so many terrible losses, could still be so full of life and light at times. True, she did have her bad moments, but overall, Wanda seemed invincible to him and that was something he admired. She had preserved a soft, gentle heart in a cruel world and it made him believe in a better future for himself as well. Maybe he would find the strength to put aside his past and move on, just like she had, to become the man he had thought died so many decades ago. He would never be the old Bucky again, but maybe he could be someone close to it. A good man, who helped others and did what was right.

“I...have to go”, he finally let out, checking the watch on his wrist. “Fury wanted a conference call at 8, so I have to head out for a bit.”  
While he felt terrible leaving her alone, Wanda didn't seem to be bothered by it too much, as she smiled over at him.  
“Then hurry up now, you only have two minutes. I'll find my own way back to bed. I'd like to sit here a little longer.”  
Bucky's brows furrowed into a frown at her words, because he wasn't comfortable with the idea of just leaving her there, but then again, she was surrounded by very capable nurses and doctors, so he guessed she would be alright.  
“Fine. I'll check on you later. Don't push yourself too hard.”  
Without thinking about it, he leaned over and was about to kiss her hairline, before he realized what he was doing and froze mid air, heart speeding up.   
No.  
He couldn't do that.   
Pushing himself up further, he pretended to have lost balance for a brief moment, to find a reason for why he had leaned in so closely, before straightening up.   
“See you later”, Wanda gave back, watching him hurry out of his room with a curious expression on her features.  
Out side in the corridor, Bucky almost bumped into Sam, who had stood outside Wanda's door apparently.

“I think you should go for it, man. You could both use some...ya know”, he told Bucky, grinning widely, even when Bucky's eyes narrowed dangerously and he growled at his team mate. “I have no idea what your're talking about”, he hissed, trying to keep his voice down, so Wanda wouldn't hear, before storming past him towards the conference room. Sam stayed behind, arms crossed in front of his chest, chuckling softly to himself.   
“Y'all acting like teenagers”, he mumbled and shook his head, before following Bucky to take Fury's call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Sorry for the longer wait, life was busy! Lemme know what you think, as usual :))


	7. Confessions

“Alright so, do you wanna switch rooms with me? Or maybe we could just have you stay in the living room for now? I mean, so you don't have to walk up the stairs all the time”, Sam babbled, as he was pushing the door open with his back, carrying – what seemed to be – everyone's luggage. Bucky had helped Wanda out of the car, after they had dropped off the quinjet, and now guided her up the stairs to their entrance way.  
In the last week, she had made a remarkable recovery. Not as well as her super serum injected colleagues would have made, but still better than expected. The doctors had let them fly back to the states, where Wanda was advised to stay put for at least another 2-3 weeks, until the injuries had fully healed. She felt much better already and was very capable of walking on her own, but Bucky had insisted to give her a hand. Despite having lived with Sam and Buck for a while now, she had never seen either one of them so chivalrous. They opened the doors for her, both had brought her flowers to the hospital bed and they had done the best they could to make her stay interesting, while simultaneously working on the mission they had abandoned after her injury. Wanda sincerely appreciated the sentiment, but it was getting to the point where she was really glad to be able to shut the door to her room and stop them from hovering over her 24/7.  
“I can walk up the stairs, Sam. It's all good”, she ensured with a chuckled and took her coat off, naturally not without the help of Bucky, who was still standing behind her in the hall. “And – before you start – I don't need help getting up the stairs”, she added with a glance over her shoulder and smirked slightly, before setting off to get to her room.

Although Wanda had never quite felt _at home _here before, it was now a relief to be back in her own four walls. Everything was familiar and far away from nurses and doctors, who poked and prodded her all day. In the beginning of her stay, she had been pretty drugged up and out of it, but the longer they had kept her there, the more anxious the place had felt her. A sentiment she had only shared with Bucky, who understood her aversion to doctors, because they reminded her of the time she spent in Hydra labs. It was a deeply rooted phobia for her and it was only due to her powers, that Wanda had learned to control herself in such situations, knowing that if she lost control over her emotions, she would lose control over her powers as well. But she had been terrified throughout the last days, despite knowing that none of the medical staff would harm her.   
Sitting down carefully on her bed, she let herself sink backwards into the soft covers. What a blessing to be sleeping in her own bed tonight. Kicking her boots off, she crawled onto the covers completely, grabbing the remote from the night stand and switching the tv on. She switched to a cooking show for background noise and allowed her eyes to fall shut, a content sigh slipping from her lips. The doctors still had her on quite strong pain meds, so she was constantly exhausted and had slept most of the flight home. Still she felt that a nap would be appreciated, until a knock at the door ruined that blissful dream for her.  
“Yeah?”  
Bucky opened and slipped inside, carrying a tray.  
“We missed breakfast and lunch, so I thought you'd be hungry”, he said softly and set it down on the bed next to her. Wanda hadn't noticed that they had gone so long without food, but looking at the instant mac & cheese he had brought up now, her stomach rumbled slightly in anticipation of something warm to eat.  
“Thank you, that is very kind. Have you eaten? Come, sit down. You look awkward hovering there at the foot of the bed.”  
She laughed softly and patted the covers next to her, waiting until he hesitantly sat down. “We're watching a cooking show now, okay? They'll teach us how to cook other things than box mac & cheese and frozen pizza.” It was technically a joke, but practically, their food choices hadn't exactly been healthy lately. A lot of ordering out had happened and Wanda had sworn to herself, that she would make more of an effort to actually buy groceries and cook. Otherwise they'd soon die of scurvy.  
Feeling how stiff Bucky seemed next to her, she gently nudged his side, mouth full with pasta. “You know, you can actually relax, right? I'm not going to throttle you.”  
He looked over and smiled crookedly, before at least leaning against the pillows she had propped up to the headboard. They sat in silence for a while, Wanda eating as if she had been starved for the last week, Bucky intently fixed on the TV, so he didn't have to look over at her. Once she was finished, he placed the tray on her desk, so she could have access to the water he had brought for her, before starting to head out.  
“You don't have to leave, you know.”  
He turned to look at her, feeling a flush of heat wash over his body. It was unpleasant.  
“I better get downstairs and see if there is any more work to do...”  
Wanda's brows knitted into a critical frown.  
Bucky had been very kind and helpful during her first days at the hospital, then seemed to avoid finding her awake. She would wake up to fresh flowers, or a new book on her bedside table, but he'd rarely be around while she was conscious. And she started to wonder what was going on with him.  
“I feel like you are avoiding to be around me. Have I done anything wrong?”

Her voice was soft, but inquisitory. Wanda wasn't fond of unnecessary tension in the house, so if anything was the matter, she'd rather talk about it.  
Her direct words completely flustered Bucky, whose mind was immediately blank. What was he supposed to say to that, without lying per se, but also without being honest? He couldn't actually tell her that he was absolutely insecure in her presence, because he felt like he was starting to like her a little too much.   
“I...what? No! All is...you're great! I mean, you did nothing wrong whatsoever. It's just been...busy. With the mission. And I don't want Sam to do everything on his own, y'know? We're already one reckless team member down.”  
His lips curled into a smile and when hers did the same, Bucky could barely hold back a sigh of relief.  
“Get some rest, I'll see you in the morning.”  
With that he left and closed the door behind him, staying in front of it for a moment, before heading off towards his own room down the corridor. He closed the door and took a phone from his pocket, staring at the display for a long while, contemplating. When he did finally dial a number, he started to nervously pace through the bedroom, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up.  
“Are you free tonight? I need a chat”, he said with a sigh, glad the other didn't object.   
“Good. I'll be there at 8.”

Bucky hung up and hurried down to the living room, to help Sam type a mission protocol for the government, who were still insisting that the Sokovia Accords were in place and the Avengers had to provide detailed mission reports to make their operations more transparent.

At 8 o'clock, he parked the car in front of a beautiful small house in the middle of a quiet, suburban neighborhood, that seemed to come straight from a perfect commercial. Bucky felt misplaced in every sense of the word, even though he was only a visitor. This was a life he had dreamed of back in Brooklyn and now knew he'd never have. Hydra had made sure of that. Then again, wasn't the one he came to visit the living example for getting out the other end alive and achieving exactly that dream? Maybe one day...  
Knocking, he waited until Steve came shuffling over and opened. “Buck”, he greeted with a wide smile and gave his old friend a hug. Surprising how much strength still rested in his old muscles and bones.  
“Is everything okay? I heard about Wanda. Will she be alright?”  
Bucky followed him into the home he had inhabited with Peggy for decades now, after he had failed to return from his time travel. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans and he sighed.

“She'll be fine. Is doing much better and gaining some independence back.”

“But?”

“What?”

“I can see there is a 'but' on the tip of your tongue”, Steve teased, knowing his oldest friend just too well.   
The relationship between them had definitely been changed by his decision to remain in the past. It wasn't as natural and carefree anymore and Steve feared that Bucky felt a certain sense of resentment towards him, given he had basically abandoned him in a way. He had chosen a life with Peggy over being part of the Avengers, helping Bucky heal and find a place in this world again. It had been the first selfish decision he had made in a long time, but he felt guilty nonetheless. Which was one of the reasons why he was so glad Bucky had come to him tonight.

A sigh was all Bucky let out for a moment, before shrugging.  
“But...I need advice. I'm at a loss.”  
Steve nodded and pointed towards the couch.  
“Sit, I'll be back in a minute.”  
He left the living room and headed to the kitchen, where he took two beer bottles from the fridge and returned to Bucky, handing him one of them, before settling down as well.  
“Alright, what's the matter, Buck?”

“I don't know what....I'm not good with these things anymore, Steve. I was so...cold for so long that I have no idea if my feelings are actually there, or if it's just what I remember feelings to be like. And either way, I'm still not stable and over 100 and this should not happen on a team and...”

Steve held up one hand to silence Bucky.  
“You're rambling and not making any sense. Or maybe you are. Can I assume from what you're muttering, that Wanda is the problem you need advice about, because you like her?”  
Bucky quietly looked over at Steve, sipping his beer, before nodding slightly.  
“I don't know why I came here for that”, he groaned, suddenly feeling like he was 17 again and confiding his first crush in Steve. Only this was a lot more complicated.  
“Alright, let's be objective: Wanda is a lovely, kind young woman, who understands your background probably best of everyone else we know. She's been with Hydra too and has experienced their methods first hand. If there's anyone who will understand where you're coming from and have patience, it's her. Buck – I know you're still struggling with accepting your past and finding a life in the present, but this is your chance at normalcy. Just try to put aside that she's on your team and you think you're not worthy to be in love, or can't be in love with someone. The things you feel are a HUGE step to getting better. Love is the strongest emotion one can feel and if you're capable of doing that, you're on a good road to recovery. Either way.”  
He put his beer down on the table and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
“Do you think she likes YOU?”  
Bucky seemed flustered and shrugged.  
“I mean...I don't know. She is Wanda! She is kind to everyone, so...hard to say. But we've been up at night together a lot and kinda started talking so...she doesn't NOT like me, I hope.”  
“Then ask her out.”  
“Steve, I came here for serious advice...”  
“I am serious”, Steve insisted. “Bucky, this right here, is my second chance. People normally don't get second, or third chances. Especially not us. We're no ordinary people, with ordinary jobs, who get to go home at night to their cats and house plants. If you have a shot at finding someone worth fighting for, go for it. I mean it. She might not feel the same, but at least you tried. Life is about trial and error. But as long as you try, you don't have to wonder about all the 'what ifs'. Just...try to remember that bright, charming Brooklyn boy you were long ago and how good he was with the Ladies. Except, please don't take her out dancing. You never really had a knack for that, I'm afraid.”

Steve laughed and even evoked a chuckle from Bucky.  
“I was great at dancing, excuse you?! Anyway. Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind. Maybe I'll just...I don't know. Do something nice for her. She must be bored being in bed all day...”

“Good start. Just spend time with her and see where it leads.”  
“Yeah.”  
Bucky smiled slightly and took a deep sip from his beer, as if to calm his nerves.  
They changed the subject after that and Bucky stayed for a while. When he returned to the safe house later that night, he wasn't any less confused, but at least felt a little reassured that maybe, even a monster like him could overcome its past and feel more than just rage and hatred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, my health has been fairly bad recently, as I have been diagnosed with a chronic illness, and I was never in the right mindset to write. I am definitely going to be better now, thanks for bearing with me! Comment or kudo if you like this and thanks for following this slow burn journey!


	8. Christmas Eve

Time crept on for Wanda after her injury. She spent a couple of days in bed, solely because the boys wouldn't let her move around too much, den alternated between the bed and a seat by the window. The temperatures had dropped significantly now and some evenings she sat in her chair, watching the snowflakes dance before the glass outside, painting frost flowers against it. Snow always reminded her of home. They had lived through many harsh and long winters in Sokovia, something she always missed in the states. Where the compound had been, winter never really happened. She had never truly been fond of the cold, until the temperatures had never dropped under sweater weather anymore. The white wonderland outside made her happy for that reason and she enjoyed sitting and reading, while the white stood out against the pitch black skies outside. She would have loved to go out and take a walk, but wasn't quite up for that yet, so all she could do was hope that the snow would last a little longer.

One day soon melted into another and she soon lost any track of time. Given that she was stuck in her room, waiting for her wound to heal, it wasn't very important for her to know which week day it was. Aside from hurting, this was the first time of peace and relaxation she allowed herself since returning from the dead and she wasn't so sad about being limited for the time being. It was almost disappointing, when her injury started to allow her more movement and freedom again, because it was healing nicely and she was on the way to recovery. Then again, without a threat present, the three inhabitants of the safe house were bound to take it easy for a while longer anyway.

For Wanda, it was a regular evening. Sam had left the house earlier, so it was just Bucky with her, who was rummaging around downstairs, doing God knows what. Wanda sat in her chair, trying to read a book, while simultaneously being distracted by the clanking and scraping of items and furniture in the living room, wondering if Bucky was re-organizing the safe house, or burning it down by trying to cook. A few days prior, he had set the microwave on fire, according to Sam, and was not permitted in the kitchen anymore. Wanda had only heard the fire detectors go off and missed the fun, but since they were not ringing alarm now, she hoped that he was okay doing whatever he was working on.

The noise died off after a while and she finally managed to focus on her novel again, one Steve had brought sent her in the mail, hoping she would like it. It was called 'Little Women' and Wanda thoroughly enjoyed the read, especially falling in love with its main character. As emerald eyes drifted over the last page of a chapter, a knock on the door revoked a sigh from her, because she had been intent on finishing tonight.  
Bucky's head appeared in the doorway, after she didn't tell him to stay out, an almost insecure smile on his lips. His hair was a little tousled, cheeks flushed and there was a stain on his shirt that looked like chocolate, but otherwise he seemed in good spirits.  
“Hey there. I was wondering if you were up for a little adventure”, he asked, stepping further into the room, one hand still resting on the door knob. Wanda's brows rose, but she returned the smile. “Adventure? I don't see why not”, she chuckled, pushing herself up from her chair. The book fell into the seat, as she slowly walked over to him. “Where to, Peter Pan?” Bucky's smile widened and he nodded towards the staircase. “Down to the living room, unless you don't feel up for it?”  
“I'm fine”, Wanda ensured with a dismissive wave of her hand, nonetheless allowing him to wrap his healthy arm around her waist to steady her, as they walked down the stairs together. Slowly, one step after the other, his eyes resting permanently on her, so he'd be able to know when she was in pain, or needed a break. The descent was a lot easier than expected however and she felt fine when they reached the bottom, curious to know, why he had brought her down.

“Close your eyes”, he demanded softly and Wanda did what he was asking her to, a slightly nervous feeling spreading in the pit of her stomach. What was he doing?  
Bucky gently led her forwards, telling her whenever there was an obstacle in the way, which required her to lift her feet higher, or duck – which in itself made her a little confused, because usually there was nothing in the way down here – until he stopped her carefully, a second or two passing between them, in which he seemed to muster up the strength to ask her to open her eyes.  
When he finally did, Wanda's eyes fluttered open, her jaw dropping.  
The living area was almost unrecognizable, with decorations on the walls and fireplace and even a tree in the corner of the room. It was warm, a fire crackling and the smell of food filled the air pleasantly. Wanda looked around, eyes wide in astonishment, because she couldn't believe that he had done all that.  
“Is it...Christmas?” She breathed the words in utter surprise, because she had no idea it was that time of the year again. The holidays had mostly passed her by in the years after her parents' death, so this was something very special to her, because it reminded Wanda of a time when she had still been with her family.  
“It's Christmas eve”, Bucky stated with a nod and she could see that he was nervously fidgeting with his shirt, wiping on the chocolate stain on it. “I thought, you'd probably like some...change of scenery. Been cooped up in that room for too long now.”  
“Bucky, this is...magical”, she said softly, turning around to face him properly, a wide smile on her features. Her whole chest was filled with warmth and butterflies, as she took it all in, one detail at a time. “I couldn't find a proper Christmas tree in the woods, so this sadly has to do. My ma would call this a pretty excuse of a sapling, but I thought I'd make it work somehow. There's no Christmas without a tree.”  
Wanda chuckled and studied the little tree, which suited the occasion almost perfectly. “It's absolutely lovely. No one has ever done anything like this for me. And I haven't had a Christmas in many years”, she admitted, evoking an almost sad smile from Bucky.  
“Neither have I. Guess it was about time. Come, I made dinner. Without burning anything down, I'd like to add.”

They both laughed softly, as they walked over to the dining table, which Bucky had tried to make festive, with what they had available. It seemed like the pre wa era had made him resourceful and creative in situations like this, because despite lacking the right decoration, he had just used pine cones and twigs from outside, as well as candles, to make it appear aesthetic. He dished up a proper, old fashioned roast, with good meat, potatoes and vegetables, which Wanda thoroughly enjoyed. Apparently, he was a pretty good cook, microwaves aside. They talked easily over their dinners and Wanda couldn't help but notice how much she enjoyed her conversations with him. Despite the brute force and cold demeanor in battles, the private Bucky had proven to be a kindhearted man, who was a pleasure to be around with. After everything he had been through, she was glad that Hydra had never fully managed to break him. He was still in need of healing and coming to terms with his Hydra past, but there was, most days now, the real Bucky Barnes shining through the cracks in his soul. And everyone around him was there to lending a helping hand, whenever he was tired of clawing his way back into a normal life. Or as normal as it could get for an Avenger. Now, across the kitchen table, his face glowed in the light of the lit candles and Wanda wondered if this was the young man Steve had lost in the war. Less carefree, perhaps, but still with the same character traits, morals and hopes for the future. So much had been taken from him by the organization that had both hurt him, and Wanda herself, that every smile she saw on his features, touched her weirdly. She couldn't explain why, but it made her insanely happy, whenever there was a spark of good emotions in him.

There was chocolate cake for dessert, the source of the stain on his shirt, and once they had finished eating, Wanda declared happily, that this had been the best meal she'd ever had in America so far. It had also probably been the nicest dinner in general, with good conversations and great company, but she didn't dare say that out loud. With Bucky, it always felt like walking on egg shells. She always feared that too much appreciation would scare him off, so she often silently admired his good deeds, only giving him enough positive feedback to make it worth for him, but not enough to make it seem like she was a little too focused on what he did.

Finally getting up from the table after almost two hours, she felt like slipping into a food coma was a good idea at that point.  
“I guess you'll have to go to bed now, so Santa can come”, Bucky joked, almost lightheartedly, ready to help her upstairs. Wanda wasn't yet willing to leave, however, and walked around the room to admire the rustic, self made decorations and the overall magical touch the snow outside gave the scene. When her had collided with something – not painfully – she looked up to find a mistletoe hanging near the fireplace. She was aware of the traditions surrounding it and rather amused that Bucky had hung one up.  
“Sorry, Sam kept hanging that thing back up every time I took it down. Didn't notice he put it back before leaving”, Bucky muttered, hurrying over with a flustered expressions, arm reaching up to remove the branch from the ceiling.  
“No, leave it”, Wanda insisted and pulled his hand back, smirking slightly. “It's part of your Christmas traditions. It should be here. This is my first, proper, American Christmas and we're not going to skip on anything”, she stated with mock seriousness, reaching out to steady the swinging thing above their heads, because the berries were starting to fall off, after Bucky had roughly grabbed it.  
For a moment, they stood facing each other, far too closely, eyes locked. The flames danced in the blue hues of his, painting a picture of a dark, burning sky, while the emerald of hers was darkened by the dim light of the room as well.  
“All traditions”, he finally breathed, his voice unnaturally unsteady, the tip of his tongue briefly flickering over his lower lips, as he swallowed dryly.  
“All of them, yes”, Wanda whispered, inching forward carefully. He could still take a step back, push her away, or just turn around, but he didn't. Not even when her hand found his with a feather light touch, intertwining their fingers carefully. Every move was cautious, in order to make it possible for him to signal her when it was going to far, but Bucky didn't move. His eyes were still fixed on hers, only fluttering shut when Wanda rose up a little, her lips brushing gently against his in an almost innocent, barely noticeable kiss. She pulled back almost immediately, her gaze worried and nervous as it met his again, checking to see if she had gone too far. But Bucky just reached up to place his healthy hand in the nape of her neck and pulled her closer for a proper kiss, one that both could feel in every inch of their bodies, as tingles and warmth flooded them and the world around them stopped existing entirely. There was just them and their beating heart important in that moment, as their mouths locked, deeper and hungrier this time, giving away all the pent up longing they had kept to themselves for so long, always wanting, but never allowing themselves to take the step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Merry Christmas to all of you! In lieu of the holiday spirits, I thought it was just right to deliver a chapter that you must have been waiting for :D comment or leave a kudo if you like it.


	9. Pieces of home

“I can't believe you sent me to Walmart at 5am in the morning”, Happy huffed, when he entered the Safe house.   
“I didn't say Walmart, I just asked you to bring the things I couldn't get. Come on, I made you breakfast”, Wanda whispered, letting him inside and quickly closing the door after him, because it was freezing cold. The prospect of breakfast seemed to make the man a lot happier and he followed Wanda into the kitchen, where a hot mug of coffee was already waiting for him.

“You want your pancake shaped like a Christmas tree”, she joked and only earned an indignant look from the other, who sat down at the table as quietly as possible. It was almost 6:30 by now and the rest of the house would probably be waking up soon. Happy had all intentions to be gone by then, because he had plans of his own, but given Wanda's condition and her pleading text message from the night before, he hadn't had the heart to say no. In the end, he was kind of their babysitter sometimes and liked to take care of the lot, even if he wouldn't have said so out loud.

In no time, a stack of blueberry pancakes was presented to him on a plate and Happy didn't skimp on the syrup.  
“Got everything on your list in the bags over there”, he said with his mouth full, gesturing towards the floor with his fork. “It's gonna be a merry Christmas for so many families out there. Having their kids and loved ones back and all.” The words hadn't fully left his mouth, when his face fell a little and – just like Wanda – he gazed down into his coffee mug, thinking of Morgan, who was about to spend her first Christmas without Tony. His sacrifice had saved so many lives, but those of his loved ones would never be the same again.  
“Had a good Christmas eve? How's the wound healing”, Happy finally asked to end the silence, almost ravenously devouring the pancakes at the same time, eyes fixed on Wanda.  
“It was good, yeah. Quiet. Sam went out and hasn't returned, I think, so it was just Bucky and me. The wound is healing nicely. Should be back to normal in a bit.” Wanda was grateful for the second part of his question, because it kept her from blushing and thinking too much about the previous night. She could still feel the kiss tingling on her lips and caught herself absently brushing her fingertips over them now. Happy observed her curiously, but didn't say a word. “Heard Steve is coming over today?”

“Yes, later today for lunch. We thought that would be nice for Bucky and him, you know. It feels a bit like the whole going back in time thing caused another rift between them. It must be hard for Bucky to know his oldest friend, who has always moved heaven and hell to keep him safe, is old now and lives a whole different life than us. Even for us it's strange. But in the end, he's still Steve.”  
Happy nodded thoughtfully and wiped the last pit of syrup from the plate with some leftover pancake.   
“You could stay, you know? You don't have to leave right away.” Wanda took a sip from her coffee and watched him over the rim of the mug.  
“Thanks, that's really kind, but I actually have plans later. May invited me over”, he mumbled, rather sheepish now himself. Wanda only nodded knowingly and put the cup down, pushing herself up when he rose from the table.  
“Merry Christmas, kid. Thanks for the breakfast”, he said kindly and gave her a careful hug, before straightening down his coat.  
“Thanks for the spontaneous shopping trip. I owe you.”

He just chuckled and shook his head, before tiptoeing towards the hallway. With a wave, he stepped back outside into the winter wonderland and Wanda watched his care leave the driveway, before closing the door and hurrying back into the kitchen, to start the actual breakfast she had planned.

An hour later, the whole house smelled like pancakes and cinnamon and freshly brewed coffee, waiting for its sleeping inhabitant to rise and come downstairs.  
In the bags Happy had brought here were three stockings; one for Bucky, one for Sam and one for Steve. Wanda hadn't grown up in the US and never got the opportunity to really celebrate a proper Christmas here before, but she still knew how it was done. She hung the stocking ups on the mantel piece of the fireplace and filled them with the small goodies Happy had brought. This was actually fun. Holidays had been rather sentimental for her so far, given her whole family was dead by now and she would never spent another special day with them. But she had learned thus far that family didn't end with blood. She was the last of the Maximoffs, but had gained many more family members over the years. Those who were here with her that day and those they had to celebrate without. Her hand reached up to straighten three framed pictures on the mantle, which would remind them that – although they couldn't be here with them that day – they would always have a place in their midst. One depicted a much younger Wanda with her brother and parents, all laughing happily into the camera. It was the only picture she had of them and it was very dear to her heart. The second showed Nat, gracing the camera with one of her rare smiles and looking beautiful as ever, the last was a family photo of the Starks. Her fingertips lingered on the one of Nat for a moment, heart aching, before she turned around and grabbed her phone, sitting down with it on the couch to send Clint a message. She missed him and wished there was more she could do to help him adjust to a life after the things he had done, a life without Nat in it, but since he had chosen to return to his family and leave the Avengers behind for good – understandably so – the distance between them made it hard to really be there. Other than phone calls and text messages, Wanda had very little to offer. His farm was a long way from the current residence of the remaining Avengers, so the Christmas invitations had been appreciated, but passed up for the next year, as Wanda was still recovering from her injury.

She made sure now, however, to wish him and his family a merry Christmas and remind him that she was there, if he needed someone to talk to. This holiday was difficult for all of them and Wanda wanted her friends to know that they were not alone, just like they had helped her through the loss of her brother.

Jumping slightly when she heard a door creak upstairs, she put the phone down and got up as quickly as possible to hurry into the kitchen and grab the two plates of French toast and pancakes she had kept warm in the oven, to put them on the table. She was just in time for Bucky to shuffle into the kitchen, hair messy and not wearing his prosthetic arm, who immediately halted when his gaze dropped onto the table and a grin spread across his features. “Well, good morning”, he said, voice hoarse and low, sleep still very evident in it. He was used to being up before Wanda and hadn't expected anyone in the kitchen this early, let alone a whole breakfast awaiting him. His gaze drifted over the toast and pancakes and it immediately reminded him of Christmas breakfasts back at home with his family. They had been poor in the 30s and 40s, but Christmas had always been the one occasion each year, when the food on their tables had seemed the most splendid and luxurious thing in the world.  
Lingering in the doorway, he realized that he was growing rather nervous in Wanda's presence after the previous night. They had kissed under the mistle toe and then talked until quite late, before he had escorted her back to her room and laid awake for hours, just thinking about what had happened. His mind was still trying to comprehend it and to decide whether it was a good, or a terrible idea, but looking at her now, he could barely shake off the need to do it again.  
He sat down on the table instead and smiled tiredly at her. “I didn't think you'd be awake this early, let alone so productive. Thank you”, he said and reached across the table to squeeze her hand, which made her blush and him smirk a little.   
“It's Christmas and since you made last night special, I thought it would be my turn”, Wanda stated, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with a little more care than necessary, emerald hues trained on the pancakes. Bucky helped himself to toast and pancakes, while Wanda poured him a cup of coffee and they ate in silence, which was normal for them both, because neither one was a morning person. Bucky needed a good amount of caffeine and food to be sociable and Wanda just wanted to sip her hot beverage in peace, trying to adjust her mind to the outpour of thoughts of those around her, as all minds in the building awoke and worked again. Nights were quiet for her, while days required constant control on her part, to prevent accidental mind reading and finding out things she wasn't supposed to.

Once the plates were polished clean and Bucky leaned back with absolute content, life seemed to return in Wanda and she positively beamed at him. “Come on, it's Christmas! Time to remember what it's all about! And yes, I mean presents, I'm not religious”, she chuckled and walked around the table to tug on his arm, so Bucky would get up. “Wait, you got me a present”, he asked, brows raised, wondering WHEN or HOW she had done that, given the last two weeks had been spent mostly in bed by her.   
“Of course, silly. Get up”, she chuckled and left him to head over into the living room. For a brief moment, Bucky remained sitting and stared at the kitchen door, a grin on his face. This breakfast would have been gift enough for him. He hadn't received an actual Christmas present in decades and materialistic things were of no importance to him. Last night had been his holiday miracle and that still filled his chest with warmth and wholesomeness he hadn't felt in a long, long time. What more could he ask for?  
Pushing himself up, he finally followed Wanda over into the next room and his eyes widened at the sight of the stockings.  
“Where did you get those”, he asked and smiled, observing the one adorned with a golden 'B' on it. His gaze rose to the pictures atop the mantle piece and he bit back a sad sigh, understanding the intention behind putting them up and realizing once more, what a mindful, kind and gentle person Wanda was. Whatever Hydra had done to turn her into a monster, they had failed miserably. He had seldom met someone with a better heart than her.   
“There's no stocking for you. I'm afraid you'll have to take a sock off and hang it there now”, he joked, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. Wanda huffed and chuckled slightly, shaking her head. “Definitely not. Please thank Happy for going shopping for me at 5am in the morning and bringing them over, because I sent him a last minute shopping list last night. I wasn't sure before, if we were just going to ignore Christmas, or actually celebrate it, otherwise I would have bought them in advance”, she explained, smiling a little shyly.  
“It's a WONDERFUL idea, thank you very much. May I open my stocking?”  
The whole scene was making him almost giddy and Bucky had a hard time remembering that he wasn't back in the 40s and his old self again. He was a completely different man now and yet this Christmas was making him feel a lot more like who he used to be than any of Shuri's therapy attempts had managed to.  
“Go ahead. It's just small stuff, your actual gift is under the....bush. I'd say tree, but now that I look at it in daylight, I'm not exactly sure what you brought home from the woods”, she teased, looking over at the corner.  
“It's a little dysfunctional and odd, like us. Don't be mean to my scrub.”  
Wanda laughed and sat down on the couch, because her side was starting to ache, watching Bucky take down his stocking and examine the content carefully with growing amusement. He hadn't seen that much candy in a long time and most of it was unfamiliar to him, but he was already eager to try it and defend it from Sam.

He gave Wanda a peck on the cheek as a thank you and started unwrapping a Resee's piece to try, before realizing that it was time for gifts and he had to get his from upstairs. “Wait a moment, I have to get your gift”, he mumbled and hurried up the stairs, followed by noises of closing drawers and things thumping to the floor, as he searched his room for it.  
It took Bucky a hot minute to reappear, looking a little dishevelled, but content with himself, because he had found it. It was even wrapped and he held it out for Wanda to take, who, in return, had picked up his from under the bush and handed it over as well.  
“It's nothing big”, she said quickly, cheeks flushing, as he took hold of the book shaped present and her hands wrapped around the small box with a ribbon around it.  
“I don't need big things”, he said softly, not without a smile, and sat down next to her, so that they could open their gifts together. He could feel Wanda's eyes on him, as he carefully opened the wrapping paper and wondered if she had stopped breathing next to him, because she was suddenly so quiet. Once opened, he held a leather bound book in his hand, that had no title on the front cover and seemed too big for a novel. Carefully, he opened the first page and froze, eyes staring at what he saw there. Now it was his turn to catch his breath and swallow dryly, as he looked at his own, much younger face, laughing happily from an old photograph, another boy – scrawny and sickly looking – right beside him. That was a picture of Steve and him when they had been about ten years old. And underneath a picture of his Ma, smiling politely at the camera, as the picture had been taken for her identification card at a photographer's shop. His hand brushed almost gently over the familiar face he had once held so dear and he swallowed back emotions that he had bottled up for a very long time now. Slowly, he made his way through many pages filled with pictures of the old days, some original, most re-printed, as well as newspaper articles about his time in the military. He couldn't say a single word to Wanda, because the lump in his throat was threatening to choke him, but he took each photograph in with the utmost care, mind wandering back to the moments they were taken. He couldn't remember all of them – Shuri had worked wonders on him, but hadn't been able to restore his whole entire memory just yet. So some of the pictures were reminders of memories lost to him, which he now had proof of in form of images caught in time. When he had reached the last page, he closed the book quietly and stared at the brown leather for a long moment, before raising his gaze to meet Wanda's. She could see tears glistening in them and her heart sank for a second, thinking she had overstepped her boundaries.  
“How? How...where did you find all this”, he breathed, his voice quivering slightly.  
“I...I got some from Steve, who in return had got them from Peggy. Some are from archives in Brooklyn, several exhibitions about the war, the internet – I just collected what I could find. It's not much, but it's something. I only have one picture of my family and it means the world to me. I thought you should have the same”, Wanda spoke quietly, dropping her eyes down to the unopened box in her hand, still worried he didn't like it.  
“That's... the most thoughtful and wonderful gift anyone has ever given me”, Bucky stated softly and he would have kissed her that very moment, but wanted to collect himself first, because he feared he'd put too much of what he currently felt into a single brush of lips.  
“Thank you, so much. This...I'm a bit speechless.”  
Wanda looked up again and smiled crookedly, her heart resuming its usual pace again, knowing he liked her little gift.  
“My turn now”, she said, opening the bow around the small object in her hand. It looked like a box containing jewelry and when she opened it, her eyes fell on an intricate silver necklace, that had a small pendant adorned with a grey stone in it. “That's absolutely beautiful, thank you, Bucky”, Wanda said, who loved jewelry like that.  
“Well, I had it made for you. The stone in the middle is a stone from Sokovia. I thought that you should be able to always carry a piece of home with you, wherever you go”, he said, his voice a little unsteady, because it was his turn now to be insecure about his gift. Wanda's eyes widened and immediately filled with tears, before she leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips without a warning. Had he had any doubt about last night and if it had meant something, he was absolutely sure that very moment. Her hands cupped his face and he raised his own to place it in her neck, pulling her closer. The gifts they had given each other, were testaments of the many losses and hardships of their lives, but somehow, Wanda thought, it had been those moments that finally led them together. They understood each other's pain and demons and knew what it meant to lose everything. But maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of a whole new 'something' that they could nourish and explore together and keep safe from the evils of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you for making it all the way through this quite long chapter. In case you haven't noticed yet - i RAMBLE a lot. I hope you all like it, let me know what you think!!! I hope you had a great Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2020! Thank you for all the great feedback on the last chapter <3 really made me so happy!


	10. Firsts

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT

Christmas had come and gone, so had the new year. Despite it being only January, the snow was already melting outside and in the comfort of their home, something was blossoming long before spring's first gentle rays of warm sun. Wanda's wound had almost healed entirely and she had been cleared to go back on missions, in case any should come up, but for the first time since returning from the dead, Bucky and her were very comfortable without work to do, unlike Sam, who was getting inventive in his boredom and picked up the hobby of trying to animate them both to work out more. Bucky had enough sympathy to go out running with him every morning, while Wanda tried to excuse herself by pointing out her wound, although that wouldn't have been that much of an issue anymore. The truth was, that she just didn't want to be out in icy cold, wet January weather. She had spent years of her childhood and youth on the streets of Sokovia, so she felt like that had been enough exposure to the elements. If she could help it now, she avoided the cold at any cost. Which was one of the reasons, why Wanda had started to sleep in Bucky's room – in the most innocent way imaginable. He was always warm and sometimes at night, he would drape his arm around her and pull her close, which she really liked. The Christmas kiss hadn't remained their last one, but other than that, the two of them had an unspoken agreement to not push things too fast, but let them happen at their own pace. Bucky and Wanda both had their demons to deal with and as much as they enjoyed each other's company, the darkness still lurked in every corner. Whatever was between them, had no name and they wanted it to stay that way for now. Especially in front of Sam, who was either absolutely oblivious, or had decided to not comment on it, because he never seemed to notice when Wanda sneaked out of Bucky's room in the mornings, or disappeared through his door at night.

  
It was one of those cold mornings in mid January, when the water on the window had frozen into beautiful frost flakes, that Wanda awoke to someone gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The time Bucky and her spent in bed together, was usually strictly used for sleeping. They kissed each other goodnight and then both curled up on their sides of the bed, because too much closeness was not appreciated, especially on Bucky's part. Physical contact was still something he craved, yet couldn't handle in abundance, so Wanda kept a good eye how often she touched him. When she opened her eyes that day, however, he smiled at her. It was a good indicator for the fact that he had slept well, without nightmares or night terrors, and woken up in a good mood. It happened more often lately and he had admitted that having someone next to him, actually calmed him down a lot. Her breathing grounded him when he needed it and it had become easier for him to rest.  
Smiling back tiredly, Wanda raised a hand to rub it over her face, before rolling onto her back. It was early still, she could tell, because it was almost pitch black outside. They had forgotten to close the curtains the night before and barely any light made it into the bedroom now. Unlike Bucky, she didn't feel ready to be awake just yet. The bed was warm and comfortable, she could feel the heat radiating from his body next to hers and all she wanted to do was curl up against his side and continue sleeping for a few more hours.

  
As if he had been able to hear her thoughts, Bucky reached out and gently pulled her against him, so that her back was against his chest and he could hold her with his one arm. She could feel his lips against the back of her head and butterflies burst into action in the pit of her stomach, as she got comfortable and allowed her eyes to fall shut again. It didn't take her long to fall back asleep and when she next woke, it was light and sunny outside. Blinking against the golden beams that flooded in through the window. Bucky was no longer laying beside her, but she could hear him in the bathroom adjoined to his bedroom, water running and a radio playing distantly. This, right here, was heaven to her. It was all she had ever hoped to find again in life, the stability of being with someone who made her happy, gave her security and accepted her for who she was. Vision had given her all of those things, but their time had been cut short. And ultimately, he hadn't been human. She had loved him and felt connected to him on a whole different level, because of the mind stone within him, which had created the powers she held, but there still had been things unimaginable with him, which were now possible with Bucky.

  
Slipping out of bed with a less than graceful motion, Wanda tried to put her slippers on while she walked and ended up stumbling over them, shooting one accidentally across the room, the other dangling on her toes. It was definitely a Monday. When she entered the bathroom, Bucky was in the process of shaving, smirking at her through the mirror.  
“Good mornin', sleeping beauty. Thought you'd never wake up.”  
Unlike Bucky, she definitely wasn't a morning person and needed more time regenerating than him. The red head rolled her eyes at him and started the shower, before taking her clothes off. Usually, being the old fashioned gentleman he still was, Bucky had looked away whenever she had dropped her clothes. This time, however, she could see him watch her out of the corner of his eyes and almost chuckled, because he quickly went back to shaving, once she had seen him. Wanda didn't feel particularly chaste in front of him, so it didn't bother her at all if he saw her naked.  
After a short shower, she wrapped a towel around her and left the bathroom, dripping water everywhere with her long hair. Bucky was already dressed in pants and about to put on a shirt – a process which he halted when she entered the room, because he got slightly distracted. His hues remained fixed on her this time and he didn't try to hide his gaze.

  
“Hm?” Wanda looked over her shoulder at him, because he seemed to want to say something, but closed his mouth again.  
“I...”, Bucky began, but trailed off, taking a few steps towards her. He reached out and placed a hand on her bare skin, fingers grazing along her collarbone, while his palm rested on the bit of chest that was not covered by the towel. His eyes searched her and his expression asked for permission to touch her, which Wanda quickly granted by kissing his lips in a feather light manner, before looking back up at him to figure out what he wanted. Words were hardly ever needed between them in intimate moments and Wanda was grateful for that. They just understood each other without them and that spoke of the level of trust they had.  
Carefully, Bucky's hand loosened the end of the towel she had tucked into one of the other ends, securing it on her body. Once opened, the material easily slipped to the ground, leaving her entirely exposed in front of him. Wanda could feel her cheeks flush red and she lowered her gaze, while his wandered across every centimeter of bare skin he had put on display. Very gently, his hand wandered down from her shoulder to her hand, intertwining their fingers, while his eyes still took in the art that was her body. It was entirely perfect to him. There was not a flaw he could find, not a single imperfection he couldn't have loved. Back in his days of being a young man before the war, Bucky had been good with the Ladies. He had been charming and respectful, but also quite a good flirt. Those days lay long behind him. After everything that had happened, he second guessed his every move, not only in respect to Wanda. The whole relationship he shared with her was incredibly healing, yet also nerve wrecking for him, because this was something he didn't want to ruin. She had suffered so greatly in life, that all he wanted was to make her happy. But he sometimes wondered if someone so broken, could love someone so perfect enough to make it work. He wasn't an ordinary men, but then again, neither was she an ordinary woman. If there was someone who understood where he was coming from best, it was Wanda.

  
“I would like to kiss you in other places than just your lips”, he finally uttered softly, eyes directed at their intertwined hands, not her face. It was a very honest, straight forward statement he rarely ever had used before. Usually, his old self would just have kissed a pretty girl and let his hands wander, until she either stopped him, or moved forward as well. With Wanda it was different. She MATTERED to him and her consent was incredibly important to him. He was also afraid of what 'moving forward' in that respect could mean for him. Shuri had worked tirelessly on stabilizing his mind, but there were so many areas left unexplored still and sexual arousal was one of them. He had tried to keep these desires at bay, but there was only one way of knowing if it would affect his mind negatively.  
“Okay”, Wanda whispered back and her word pulled Bucky back to reality. He smiled crookedly and gently guided her backwards to the bed, helping her onto it. Her body stiffened when he breathed the first kiss against her collarbone and for the first time, Bucky wondered how much experience Wanda had. She had been with Vision, to his knowledge, but despite his human appearance, he wasn't sure just how human he had been in other ways. Had he even known what seduction was? Had Wanda been able to be with a boy before, given she had spent the majority of her teenage years in a cell? He hesitated slightly, looking up at her face to make sure that she wasn't uncomfortable.  
“Tell me, if you want me to stop.”

  
Bucky meant it. There was nothing he would have done against her wishes. Wanda just nodded, her eyes closed, fingers digging into the covers, as he proceeded to let her lips wander down her pale, soft skin. He soon reached her breast and allowed his lips to linger there for a moment, before moving down to her belly button. Goosebumps were spread all across Wanda's skin and he could hear her breathe more audibly. At her belly button he stopped, just letting his hand stroke down her side, resting it on one of her thighs. He was hesitant to do more, given he had no way of telling if it was a good idea, nor if it would potentially be too much for her. They were both damaged goods and taking it slow had been good for them.  
Then again, this felt good, too.

  
Wanda's eyes had fluttered open and she searched for his gaze, cheeks flushed and teeth biting down on her lower lip. Her body was tense, but not in a negative way. No one had ever touched her like this and she felt so many things at once, that her head was swimming.  
“I've never done this before”, she finally whispered, feeling slightly ashamed to utter those words.  
“That's alright, sugar. I figured.”  
“But I want to. If you do.”  
Bucky remained silent for a moment, trying to decide what was the right thing to do: follow his needs and wants, or be reasonable and cautious.  
“I..haven't done this in a long time. It might bring the Winter Soldier back”, he mumbled, avoiding her gaze, as he pulled his hand back from her thigh.  
“It won't. And even if, I can bring you back, you know that. We can't spend our lives in fear of the past. There is no moving forward from it, without taking the first step”, Wanda replied softly but with such an honest trust in him, that it eased Bucky's mind a little. She was right, ultimately. There was no way of having a future, when a part of you still lived in the past and feared it.  
“I need you to be honest with me, okay? I need you to tell me if you feel uncomfortable, or something hurts. I don't want to hurt you”, he quietly said, cupping her face with his hand. She nodded, smiling at him and momentarily remembered that it had been her radiant smile that made him fall for her. Wanda didn't smile very often, but when she did, it lit up the whole room around her.

  
“Okay”, he muttered, more to himself than her, trying to calm his own nerves. This was happening and he wanted it. She wanted it as well, so what was supposed to go wrong?  
Very carefully, he let his hand slip between her legs, fingers gently moving along her nether lips. Wanda inhaled sharply and for some reason it made him smirk. Maybe he still had it in him to please a girl. He took his time, however, not wanting to rush this at all. If this was her first time doing it, he wanted her to enjoy it as much as possible. His fingers rubbed gently against her folds, before briefly brushing against her opening, gently pushing inside an inch. This was only is way of testing the waters, before following his fingers with his lips, as he dipped down, spreading her legs slightly to get some space.  
As intended, he took his time with the foreplay and didn't even consider anything more than this, until Wanda was writhing under his touch and his fingers could feel the heat and wetness radiating from her core. He himself didn't need any motivation to get going. His pants were already painfully restricting him, so once he finally freed himself of the clothing with Wanda's help, he was ready to go and move it a step further.

  
Against his worst fear, nothing triggered the Winter Soldier. Wanda's eyes began gleaming scarlet at a certain level of arousal, but she remained fully in control and only cursed here and there, when she didn't know what else to do with her. Bucky found that rather charming.  
It took them a long time, until both were laying wrapped up in their blankets, panting, skin glistening with sweat. This had been SOMETHING. Despite Wanda's lack of experience, Bucky was positively sure that he had never enjoyed intimacy like that more, because it had been raw and perfectly imperfect. From bumping their heads together, to knocking their teeth during hasted kisses and trying to do all of this with just one arm for the first time, it had been somewhat magical. Bucky didn't want to think about it too much, but he was distantly aware of the fact that he had never felt this way about a girl before. Wanda was special to him and he hoped she had felt that.  
Sighing contently, he draped his arm over her, as she curled up against him, one of her legs wrapping around his, as her head rested against his chest.  
It was Monday and neither one of them could wait for the rest of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovely people! Thank you again for the great positive feedback on this little project, I greatly appreciate it! As our lovey doveys take things a step further, let me know what you think!


	11. Alpine

There was no mission until March, but no one in the house truly cared anymore at that point. Where they had been restless and on edge before, peace had settled in among them and all three of them got used to not being in a constant state of war. Unlike Bucky and Wanda, Sam could very well remember a time before all of this. He had gone through a normal childhood, ordinary teenage years and a fair amount of young adult years without putting his life at risk. For him, the transition was faster and easier than for the other two, who had barely any memories of a life without war, but given their blossoming relationship – which they intended to keep private, yet everyone secretly knew – they were distracted enough to get comfortable with the life they led. Despite working out and keeping in shape for future missions, they all started to feel almost like regular people. They lived far outside the city, so no one in their surrounding area cared about the three famous Avengers in the neighborhood. A routine between them settled in, with assigned chores and duties for everyone, which were regularly rotated. Wanda usually cooked for the sake of everyone, Sam liked to do grocery shopping and Bucky kept the house and garden intact. There was still a lot of bickering among the boys, but as they had grown more comfortable with their situation, their arguments had mostly turned into play fights. Wanda even dared to think that Sam and Bucky were turning into good friends.

It was early morning and Wanda was slowly awoken by the first rays of sunshine streaming in through the window. Blinking dazedly, she stretched out across her side of the bed, realizing Bucky wasn't next to her anymore. That was nothing unusual, as he tended to get up at the crack of dawn to work out and make breakfast for her afterwards. Whoever had said that dating older men was strange, had definitely never been with someone over 100 years old, who still held old values and practiced them frequently. Bucky – as brooding, violent and brute as he could be – was an absolute gentleman. He opened doors for her, brought her flowers from his runs in the woods, made her breakfast, respected her in every way possible and made her feel like she was the most perfect thing he had ever laid eyes on. For someone who had been nothing but an inconvenience to others for most of her life, abused and disrespected by Hydra and the government, this was incredibly special. It had taken some getting used to this way of being appreciated, but Wanda could now tell that it hadn't just made her a happier person in the last weeks, but also increased her sense of self worth. She had never considered herself to be worthy of anything good, so Bucky's love was the most wonderful thing to her, a sentiment he mirrored, because for him it had been equally hard to accept someone else's love, after everything he had done.

Not everything was all fun and games, however. They both had their demons that still haunted them and every step they took was calculated with caution. Wanda knew when to give Bucky space, because he was starting to feel overwhelmed, and he understood that her past and powers made some things difficult for her to process, so she needed a little longer to relax. Things that came naturally to other couples, often required a lot of time and baby steps for them. Sleeping in one bed had been a task, as both of them suffered from nightmares and were incredibly tense in the other's presence at first. Physical affection had been something Bucky struggled with at first and although he liked touching Wanda with the utmost gentleness, her affection was something that terrified him at first. There was a part of the him that would always remain attached to the Winter Soldier and the terrible deeds he had done and although he wasn't triggered by code words or actions anymore, allowing himself to develop deeper emotions for someone, as well as accepting them in return, was a constant battle. He felt unworthy and grateful at the same time and sometimes, he just needed to get out. Luckily, Wanda understood. She never followed, she never got upset over it and whenever he returned from one of his escapes, she was usually sound asleep in her own room, giving him the time and space to calm down. These episodes didn't happen as frequently anymore, but it was still something he struggled with.

For Wanda it was a whole different set of demons from the past, because she was mostly terrified of falling in love with someone again, just to lose that person. She had lost and buried so many people in her short life time, that feelings had started to scare her. There were also moments in which her Hydra past haunted her and physical contact made her panic. It was something she was learning to push aside, just like Bucky was learning to deal with his issues. Just like any other couple, they had good and bad days and that was okay. When allowing themselves to fall for each other, they had both known it would be work. They were damaged goods and something as pure as love didn't come easy to the broken ones. But eventually, they knew, it could heal their souls at least a little.

Sitting up in bed, Wanda brushed a strand of her long hair out of her face, yawning tiredly. The sun was shining outside and it promised to be a beautiful day in the countryside, which had started to excite her. Now that winter was fading, they were actually able to explore the surrounding area and Wanda had discovered that walks in the woods helped her immensely when she needed to focus and regain control over her powers. The woods were quiet, peaceful and without other minds around her, it was easier to regain a state of composure. She knew that Bucky felt the same, because when he left, he always went there as well.  
A voice calling her name from downstairs caught her attention and she furrowed her brows. It was Bucky, sounding urgent and slightly nervous.   
“Coming”, she called back, slipping out of bed and into her robe, before heading downstairs to see what was going on. Bucky stood in the hallway, sweaty from a morning run, a white ball in the palm of his hand, stretching it out towards her. She frowned slightly as she drew nearer, not quite sure WHAT he was showing her, until the ball moved and made a miserable little sound.  
“I found it in the woods, in a plastic bag with a hand full of dead siblings. We have to keep it”, he announced, worry etched across his features. Wanda's eyes widened when she realized that the little fluffy thing in his palm was a snow white kitten. Its eyes were barely open and it made soft, sad sounds that made her want to cradle it and protect it from the world.

“Oh my god! Who would do that? Come on, we should probably warm that poor thing up, it gets freezing at night. Let's make a nest for it. And then find out where we can get formula to feed it with, it must be hungry! Maybe we should take it to a vet.”

Wanda was immediately buzzing into action, because Bucky looked a little helpless with the meowing fuzzball in his hand. She pulled him into the kitchen and quickly stuffed a towel into the microwave to warm it up, while grabbing a salad bowl from the shelf, because they didn't have a proper box to use. Once the towel was warm, she put it in the bowl and told him to place the kitten in it, so it could snuggle down and get cozy. What a sad fate it had suffered through, but how lucky it was that someone had found it.

Grabbing her phone from the counter, she opened a browser to search for a vet nearby, because she had no idea what a kitten that young needed. Given it had survived the cold night in a plastic bag, someone had to make sure it wasn't sick, or needed any other medical care. While she searched for the best option, her gaze briefly landed on Bucky, whose index finger very gently booped the kitten's nose, as it stretched its head up and meowed. She smiled softly, before clicking on the phone number of a vet that was the closest to their home. It only rang once, before someone picked up, and Wanda quickly explained the situation, being told to stop by immediately.

“You drive, I don't have a license technically”, she told Bucky, realizing that Sam was usually the one driving them everywhere. Theoretically, Wanda knew how to drive a car, but she didn't want to be caught. “I think mine expired 100 years ago, when I supposedly died”, Bucky joked, carefully handing the salad bowl to Wanda, making sure the little creature in it wasn't rocked too hard.   
“Better than no license”, she retorted, grabbing a jacket from the hook by the door, before realizing that she was still in her pajama.

“Take the cat, start the car, I'll be there in 2 minutes”, Wanda quickly announced, giving him the bowl and hurrying upstairs to throw some clothes on and grab a pair of proper shoes, in order not to leave the house in slippers.  
Running back downstairs, she grabbed the house keys and skidded to a halt in front of the passenger seat, on which Bucky had placed the kitten so she could hold it.  
“I guess we have a kitten now”, she said with a grin as he started driving, following the directions she gave him.

“If it survives. It's still very young”, he mumbled and Wanda could tell that he was worried about this scenario.   
The drive was significantly shorter than google maps had indicated, mostly because Bucky didn't really care for speed limits as it seemed. Maybe that was the reason why Sam usually drove. It only took them half an hour to have the kitten checked, walking out with a huge supply of formula for the little thing and the reassurance that it was absolutely healthy for the circumstances and would hopefully thrive with the right care. That eased both Wanda's and Bucky's mind, because something so small and cute just had to make it through. But they could already tell that the little one was a fighter and quite interested in its new humans, as he was climbing all over Wanda during the drive back home.  
“So, since we now know he's a boy....I guess you should name him. We can't keep calling him the cat”, Wanda stated, smiling over at Bucky, who looked a little nervous about the prospect and immediately asked: “Why me?”  
“Because you found him. He's your cat now.”  
Bucky looked over at her, then back at the road, being quiet for a long moment.  
“Alpine”, he finally stated with conviction in his voice.  
“Alpine”, Wanda repeated with a content nod, scratching the tiny thing behind his ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! thank you for all the lovely feedback on the last chapter, you have no idea how happy it makes me <3 i hope you'll enjoy this next one as well


	12. Family

Wanda groaned as a shadow was cast across her face, blocking out the sun and prompting her to open one eye. She had fallen asleep in the sun earlier and was now blinking into Bucky's worried face, who mustered her with furrowed brows.  
“You're a lobster”, he commented, before falling down on the towel beside her, dripping water on her hot skin. She sat up immediately, checking her arms and legs, but they still seemed to have a normal color, all while Bucky chuckled next to her. 

“Very funny. I haven't even been asleep that long”, she stated, stretching her legs out again and letting her gaze drift over the ocean in front of her. The laughing and screaming of children hadn't kept her from dozing off, but a smile crept onto her lips now, as she saw Clint's kids and Morgan play in the water. They had all come together in honor of Tony's birthday and met at the seaside for a long weekend, to reconnect and enjoy a bit of quality time together. Wanda couldn't have been happier to be with Clint again and having the chance to talk in person, not just on the phone. It had been many months, since all of them had been in one place and it was nice to see that Pepper and Morgan were doing more or less alright. The day was hard for them, naturally, but that was why they had escaped their regular routines and decided to use the nice weather for some celebration of life. The kids were definitely in their element and would sleep well that night, while the grown ups soaked in the feeling of normalcy. Wanda had never been to a beach like this before. She had visited the coast in Britain once, but it had been stormy and cold, the sea rough and untamed. Now she was basking in the sun, the ocean had a mild temperature and it felt like she was just an ordinary person on a weekend trip. Even Bucky seemed different; the broody, quiet tower of a man had been playing with the boys most of the morning. They were very impressed with his arm and challenged him to do all sorts of things, before just throwing balls in the water, while Lila played in the sand with Morgan. The girl had grown so much, Wanda thought, sighing internally. The children always made it obvious how much time was passing. 

“I thought the boys would never give you a break”, she joked, looking over at Bucky, who had put a shirt back on and sat in the shade, trying to keep the metal of his arm from heating up too much in the sun. He couldn't feel it, unless he happened to brush across his own skin, but he didn't want to accidentally burn Wanda, or one of the children.  
“I think they needed the break more than me. Nathan sat down on the towel and was asleep ten seconds later. I guess Laura and Clint are going to enjoy a quiet night.” He laughed softly and ran a hand through his hair, mustering Wanda.  
“The sun suits you. You look happier and healthier than you did a few weeks ago.” He reached out and brushed his fingertips over the scar in her side, a remnant of her injury in winter. It had been over six months since then, but he was still worried at times. Especially after their friendship blossomed into more, he couldn't shake the reoccurring nightmares of losing her, which he kept to himself, but was reminded of whenever he remembered that he could have easily lost her that day. For all her wonderful, fascinating and powerful magic, Wanda sadly remained dangerously mortal otherwise. She didn't heal faster than a normal human, nor was she less susceptible to illness. For both of them, who had lost so much in their lives, love was a fragile companion. One they knew they could lose in the blink of an eye and Bucky was always painfully aware of it, worrying more than he should have about her, given she could definitely hold her own.

“Well, summer is almost here and I must say, this trip to the beach is the best thing I have done in...maybe ever. I've never been on a vacation in my life, so this definitely helps feeling happy and healthy”, she giggled and leaned over to press a kiss against his cheek. They had talked about how to behave in front of the others, given they had kept their relationship to themselves so far. Sam knew, because he lived with them and had caught on, but they hadn't spoken to anyone else about it. The first day at the beach house, they had tried to be casual around each other, but soon decided that it wasn't necessary. Without commenting on it, they had just shared the same room and been close to each other all weekend, which had only prompted one serious reminder from Clint, that he would kick Bucky's butt back into a cryo chamber, if he wasn't good to Wanda. It was a joke, of course, so Wanda had rolled her eyes, while Clint got a beer for him and Bucky and spent the rest of the night out on the porch with the two of them.  
It was their last night at the beach house, before everyone was going to drive back to their homes the next day. The previous evening, they had all sat together for a dinner in Tony's honor, which had been a bittersweet occasion, but Wanda wanted to believe that he would have liked it. There had been cheeseburgers and all sorts of other foods he loved, as well as shared stories and memories, laughter and sometimes tears. But she had gone to bed that night with her heart very full, knowing that despite it all, she had a family again. They were not connected by blood, but blood mattered so little, when there was so much love to share. When they were all together, it was hard to believe that almost all of the grown ups were defenders of the world, having fought many battles and wars up to this point. It was easy to put their jobs aside for a while, when there was so much to talk and laugh about. As sad as it was, that not all of them worked and lived together anymore, it made their meetings more special.  
“Wanda, look what we built”, Morgan called from the edge of the water and waved her over, which made the young woman smile. “Duty awaits, I'll have to go play”, she laughed and pressed another kiss against Bucky's warm skin, before heading off to join the two girls in building a sand fort. Her powers came in handy and Morgan laughed excitedly, when their already impressive castle grew a little with Wanda's help.  
When the sun was starting to set, they all decided that dinner was a good idea. Since they had spent the previous evening together, everyone had made their own plans for that night, which included Bucky and Wanda, who wanted to go out for dinner. This was turning into a task, however, because Wanda found herself sitting on the patio with Morgan in her lap, who had fallen asleep, after telling Wanda everything she knew about whales and mermaids.   
“I think we'll have to stay here”, Wanda whispered with a smile, when Bucky joined her, sitting in a chair opposite to her. “I don't want to wake her up.” The beach had worn all the kids out and Lila was the only one who had stayed awake so far, while all other three had passed out somewhere. Pepper and Laura were currently inside preparing dinner for them, but it seemed like that was a lost cause. Fresh air and warm sun had a tiring effect on the best of them. Even Wanda felt tired, yet almost melancholic at the thought of leaving this beautiful place behind.   
“Promise we'll come back here.”  
“I promise.”  
Bucky smiled easily and reached out to pat Morgan's head. Wanda had never taken him for someone who was particularly good with kids, but he had proven her wrong this weekend. All four of them loved him and he had been very good with them, to his own surprise. He had grown up with younger siblings, but that had been another life. In between, his contact with children had been sparse, but apparently, he hadn't forgotten all of it.   
Pepper broke the silence between them, as she stepped outside to announce dinner was ready, then paused when she saw Morgan sound asleep. “I'll put her to bed”, Bucky said softly, because it was no task for him to carry the little girl upstairs. “Thank you. I guess she had enough snacks today to keep her alive till breakfast”, Pepper joked and leaned over to kiss Morgan's hair, that smelled of sand and salt, before letting Bucky pick her up and take her inside.   
“He's a good one”, Pepper commented, nodding after Bucky with a smile. Wanda looked down on her hands with a shy smirk curling the edges of her lips upwards. “Yeah, he is. I got lucky”, she agreed and met Pepper's gaze, who just shook her head.  
“No, you just finally got what you deserved. Been long enough.” 

She gave Wanda's shoulder a squeeze, before heading back inside. Wanda stayed a moment longer, before doing the same, so that she could get ready for their dinner out by the pier. Her skin was sun kissed and salty and she felt like there was sand covering every centimeter of her, so a shower was in order. She kept the water cool, as her skin still seemed to be hot from a day outside, and showered quickly, because she knew there wasn't that much time left, before they had their reservation. Once finished, she found Bucky already dressed in their bedroom and grabbed a random, flowy beach dress out of the closet to shrug on, pairing it with sandals and a few bracelets. It was so easy to get dressed, when it was warm and sunny outside, she thought to herself, absolutely content with everything. Grabbing her purse, she followed a patiently waiting Bucky outside and down the dunes to the beach walk, where he had picked a nice, little Italian restaurant right at the pier. They sat there all evening, until the sun had gone down and they were almost alone, but it was so nice to just talk for hours over good food. It made her aware of how far they had come in the past year and how easy it was now to get lost in thoughtful conversations with him. Despite still facing some struggles in their daily lives, Bucky had significantly changed over the past months, into a happier, more relaxed and comfortable version of himself. It filled Wanda's heart with warmth to see him smile genuinely more often now and allowing himself to be happy. He deserved this so, so much in her eyes and she never wanted him to see any different than this ever again.  
When they finally got back to the beach house, everyone seemed to be already asleep. They crept upstairs as quietly as possible and snuggled into bed together, both content and relaxed after their evening out. This had been the perfect end to a wonderful weekend, which made it even sadder to be departing the next morning.  
“It was a great weekend, but I am also glad to get back home. I'm not so sure if Happy fed Alpine correctly”, Bucky mumbled critically and almost made Wanda burst out laughing. It had been a task to even get Bucky to go without the cat, because he had grown so attached to their foundling, that he had wanted to take him along. Given that would have been stressful for the young cat, however, they had left him in Happy's care, much to Bucky's concern, who apparently didn't really trust him.   
“I am sure he'll be happy to have you back, too”, Wanda mumbled, grinning to herself, and was asleep only a few moments later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the longer wait, my health has been all over the place in February and March so far, so I have struggled with my muse. But I am back, I have a couple of chapters already planned out, but I have a question for you all: as things progress with Bucky and Wanda, would you prefer me to continue writing it all in this fanfic, or put things down the line into a sequel? Let me know! xxx


	13. New Beginnings

The new compound was finished at the end of summer and by the time everything was ready for them to move in, Wanda was quite sad to leave the safe house behind. They had spent a year in the small, slightly old building and a lot of memories had been made there, especially between her and Bucky. All of their firsts had taken place within these walls and Wanda reminisced about them, as she slowly packed her clothes into a box, slightly distracted by Alpine, who was seeking attention by pawing at her leg. She bent down and scratched him behind his ear, before continuing with the task at hand. Bucky and her generally slept in the same room, but she still had her stuff separated from his, which made packing easier. As for Alpine, she hoped that their little foundling would adapt to the new surrounding, knowing that the new compound was not necessarily as pet friendly as this house. But he was coming along anyway and they would make sure to make their fur baby happy in their new home.

The sound of claws tapping on hardwood floor indicated that Alpine had left to seek attention elsewhere, which would be with Bucky. The two of them had grown almost inseparable and whilst the little cat came to Wanda for scratches and food every now and then, Bucky was his human and no one could change that. It was sweet to find them asleep on the bed or couch, Alpine curled up on Bucky's chest as if he had always belonged there.

A minute later, Bucky walked in and up behind her, wrapping his arms around her smaller form and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She loved it when he did that. The world could not hurt her, when she was safe in his strong arms and it wiped away all traces of worries she might have had before. “We're leaving in an hour. Are you finishing up?”  
She nodded slightly and turned around in his grip to look up at him. “Yeah, just ten more minutes and I should be done. Hi stranger, by the way. Haven't seen you all day.” She smiled brightly up at him and cupped his face in her hands, rising to her toes to press a kiss on his lips. Bucky lifted her up a little and returned the kiss hungrily, before setting her back down with a chuckle. “There was more to pack than I thought. But everything is in the van now and we're ready to go. Kind of sad to leave this place behind, not going to lie. Feels more like a home than the big compound they built us for three people.” Wanda laughed softly and shrugged at his words. “The team will grow again and we will be lucky then to have enough space. And until then – we'll make it a home. I'm sure it will be fine.”

Wanda had been a nomad most of her life and never really got attached to places. She had learned that home was, wherever she could be with the people she loved, so their change of scenery would be okay. It would take some time getting used to, but with Bucky around, it would eventually become just as familiar to them, as this house. Grabbing the last dress from the hanger, she put it in the box in front of her and closed it, finishing off the packing. The rest of her room was already bare of any personal belongings and they were officially ready to leave. “I'll take that”, Bucky announced and picked up the box, to take it down to the car, while Wanda followed him with Alpine on her arm, who meowed sadly at the sight of the car, because he wasn't fond of it. In the last months of his stay with them, they had only taken him in the car when it was time for the vet, so he was probably associating it with getting shots. “Don't worry, Al. We're not going to the vet today, we're just moving to a new home”, Wanda promised him and kissed his fluffy head, before getting in the passenger seat. The second Bucky sat next to her, Alpine crawled in his lap and stayed there for the duration of the drive.

The new compound appeared to be even more spacious than the old one and it felt strange to be surrounded by so much modern technology again, after having spent a year in a modest farm house. Wanda, who was much more familiar with simple living conditions, disliked the sterile atmosphere of the huge building, but rejoiced in the fact that Bucky and her got to share a proper apartment now. Not just a room, but a bedroom, living area and adjoining bathroom were theirs to enjoy, while they would still share a kitchen with everyone else. Members of SHIELD would be working at the facility as well, so it wasn't as isolated as their safe house, but the change of scenery also meant that they were fully operational again and their time of rest from the duties of an Avenger were over. It was back to missions and saving the world, which Wanda had thought she'd bee excited for, but found herself not living up to that expectation. In all honesty, she had enjoyed the quiet life in the woods, far away from everything that haunted them. Her whole life had been marked by war and trauma, so the time away had been much appreciated.

The first night spent in the new place was restless. Alpine kept meowing and scratching at the door to get out, then wanted to be let in again five minutes later. The room was unfamiliar and Wanda couldn't get her mind to quiet down, so a lot of tossing and turning, getting up for Alpine and trying to get comfortable with the new surrounding, led to Bucky and her just talking in the dark, both curled up against each other, their naked skin touching wherever clothes weren't in the way.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”  
Wanda chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to find the right words, before she continued speaking.  
“I was wondering if you have ever thought about...you know, having a family of your own? You're really good with the kids.”  
Silence settled between them for a long moment, in which Bucky considered his answer. His old self would have replied with `yes' without a hint of a doubt, because he had always wanted a big family, just like his own. He had grown up close to his mother and sisters, protected the kids in the neighborhood and generally enjoyed family life. But a lot had changed since then and he hadn't even thought about the possibility for it in decades. The Winter Soldier had obviously never cared for such things. Now, he felt, that decision and consideration came with a lot of baggage. He was not an ordinary man, who could just freely let his heart make that call, because too much had to be taken into that. The serum had changed him physically and Hydra's abused had changed him mentally. He was still unstable at times and although he was healing, he had his dark moments. On top of that, their life was dangerous and having children was not exactly easy to manage, something which Clint and Tony knew, who had left it all behind in favor of their loved ones.

  
“I don't know. I think I never even considered it, until a short while ago. I guess it would take me a while to really think about it and make a choice, because it's a big thing, y'know. A commitment you have to be ready for.”  
He wasn't sure if this was what Wanda had wanted to hear, so he stayed very still, trying to determin whether he had hurt her feelings, or not.  
“Yeah, it's not an easy call to make”, she agreed, which relieved him. “I would lie if I said I hadn't thought about it, but obviously that's something that should be decided along the line. I was just wondering if you could even imagine it. I mean, some people absolutely don't want children and that's totally okay too...”  
“Oh, no. I...always wanted them back in the days. A lot happened since then, though, and I just don't know if it's a good idea now. If I'd be a good father. But I do like kids, a lot.”

  
He pressed a kiss to the back of her head and inhaled her scent. Their relationship had been going on for nine months now and although that wasn't necessarily a long time, he felt like he had known Wanda all his life. She had been there, without him knowing it, as if his heart had reserved a place for her, long before they had met. He had no doubt in his mind that what they had was meant to last. It was probably the old fashioned, war era part of him, but under different circumstance, with less emotional damage and baggage attached, he would have already married her. Either way he was sure that they could manage anything together and make it work, even a family one day.   
He reached up to brush a strand of hair behind Wanda's ear, letting his fingertip run along its edges, before realizing that her breathing had evened out and she had fallen asleep in his arms. Smiling, he listened to it for a moment, feeling the steady beat of her heart against the arm that was wrapped around her and for a fleeting second, it almost hurt him to know how much she meant to him. In his arms, he held his whole world and it was a wonderful, yet terrifying thought. His whole world could be taken from him so easily, yet what they had made him happier than anything else in the last 90 years. Although he still struggled with his past every single day and sometimes panicked over the fact that Wanda loved him, thinking he wasn't good enough for her, after everything he had done, their relationship was healing to him in so many ways and it was something he could never thank her enough for. He hoped she knew, because he was unable to voice it.

  
Closing his eyes as well, he exhaled softly and grinned slightly, when he felt Alpine trying to squeeze between them. When it didn't work, the fur ball just curled up on their sides and purred softly. The sound soon lulled Bucky to sleep as well and he fell into a slumber rich with dreams of times long lost, of little sisters with pig tails, summer days in Brooklyn with Steve, his ma teaching him how to cook and then Wanda, waiting for him at home with a toddler on her hips, her beauty radiant and the happiness of the chubby cheeked child infinite.

When he woke the next morning at sunrise, his chest was still filled with warmth from the dream and although Wanda was still asleep, he leaned over and whispered in her ear: “I do. I think I really do want it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! The world is in a massive crisis right now and I am feeling the effects. Bc of the outbreak, i lost my job and my country is going into lockdown, so I want to at least use my time and post more often now! Prepare yourself for some lovely moments to come, because it all led up to this ;) leave a comment or a kudo if you still like this and want me to update more frequently! I hope you all stay healthy in this crisis, take good care of yourselves <3


	14. A whole year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello my darlings! thank you so much for the lovely feedback on the last chapter, it made me so happy! I hope this new one will cheer you all up in your quarantine gloominess. Let's just battle the darkness outside with a lot of fluff from our favorite ship! Next chapter is already in the making :P

“You're taking this seriously, man”, Sam commented with a frown, as he watched Bucky put a box full of Christmas decoration in the back of the car. It was the day before Christmas eve and Wanda had gone out Christmas shopping, so he had the benefit of being alone for a while, ready to prepare his surprise.  
“Yeah”, he replied with a shrug, closing the door. “It's our one year anniversary AND Christmas, so...I just want it to be nice.”  
Sam laughed and clapped his shoulder. “Well, good luck for you. I'm sure she'd love anything you do for her. Merry Christmas, man.”  
“Merry Christmas. See you in a couple of days.”  
“Yeah, let's hope the world won't be a pain in the ass and lets me enjoy my ma's cooking for a week or so”, Sam joked, opening the door of his own car. Everyone had slowly started leaving to be with their families in the last couple of days and the compound was clearing out. Since moving in, it had started to bustle with life and the remaining Avengers had gone on several missions in the last three months. Non necessarily big, but at least it gave them something useful to do every now and then. Currently, Bucky agreed with Sam, though. He wanted to have a quiet holiday celebration with Wanda and have a special memory to look back on, so missions were not appreciated in the next days. Getting in the car, he looked apologetically to the cage on the passenger seat containing Alpine. “Sorry buddy. It's just a short trip”, he promised and started driving, back to the safe house they had lived in until a couple of months ago.  
This was the place where they had shared their first kiss, their first Christmas together and many other firsts, so it was just fitting to spend the holidays here again. Wanda had no idea yet, which was exactly what he had wanted. She hadn't felt great lately, a lot of headaches and fatigue plaguing her, which worried him, but he brushed it off. Bucky knew that the holidays were always kind of rough for her, so he expected her physical ailments to be a result of her anxiety over having to spend another Christmas without her family. He got it. His own was gone for many decades and yet that loss was one he has only understood after his brain had been partially healed and the memory of them came back. They had been dead for many years by now, but to him, she had only seen them a short while ago. So he understood the heartache and wanted to make it special enough for Wanda, that the happiness was stronger than her loss.  
Parking in front of the safe house, he grabbed Alpine's cage first to let him out inside, before going back to grab the box of decoration. He had an hour or two, before Wanda would be back and he had faked a reservation at a restaurant for them to go to, which would instead lead them here. Takling his tasks, he got the tree set up and decorated, as well as the mantle of the fireplace. He had even brought the stockings from the previous year and prepped the fridge with enough food to last them a few days. Once all of that was done, he was pretty content with the outcome and promised Alpine to be back soon.  
He got back to the compound just in time to see Wanda pulling into the garage as well. “Hey”, he greeted with a smile and offered to help her with the bags, but she swatted his hand away. “You can't look at that! Go, get ready for dinner, we don't have that much time left”, she told him, snatching the backs from the trunk and carrying them up, closely followed by him. While they walked, Bucky thought about how to secretly put all of them in the car, because Wanda had no idea they wouldn't be celebrating Christmas at the compound. His chance came when she hopped into the shower and he stole them from the cupboard she hid them in, racing down to put everything in the trunk of his car without peeking at what was inside.

Once back upstairs, Wanda seemed a little confused by the fact that he was out of breath, but soon got distracted by trying to pick an outfit, while Bucky changed into something more festive as well. An hour later, he opened the car door for her and let her get in, before slipping into the driver's seat himself. “How's your head”, she asked, peering over at her as he left the garage. “Quite okay. I'm just really tired for some reason. Maybe low iron levels or something”, she mumbled and Bucky hummed with a nod, although he assumed that it all had a more head based origin. A couple of minutes into the drive, Wanda started to look out of the window with suspicion, as she realized that they weren't headed into the city, but further away into the rural outskirts.   
“Where are we going?”  
“You'll see”, Bucky replied with a grin and looked over at her, winking. Wanda squinted, trying to make out their exact surrounding in the darkness that stretched out around their car.   
“We're going to the safe house”, she finally decided with determination, recognizing the road that would lead them straight to where they had stayed. When they pulled into the driveway, she huffed triumphantly and clapped her hands, because she had been right.  
“Why are we stopping here, Buck?”  
He laughed softly and stopped the car, shrugging. “I guess you'll have to come inside with me and take a look.”  
They both got out of the car and he covered her eyes with his hand, directing her towards the house and inside. Alpine was awaiting them in the hall, meowing softly with a hint of annoyance in his tone, because he had been alone for a bit.

“Careful, step”, Bucky muttered in Wanda's ear as they entered, closing the door behind them. Stopping in the doorway to the living room, he slowly lowered his hand.  
“You're allowed to look”, he announced and stared at her expectantly, when her lids fluttered open.  
“Bucky!” Wanda clapped a hand in front of her mouth as she looked around, eyes filling with tears. He hoped that was a good sign.  
“I thought we'd just pick something up here! Are we gonna spend Christmas here again?”  
She turned around to face him, face shining with happiness.  
“Yeah, if you have no objections? I guessed, since this is where it all began a year ago...we should spend the holidays here again.”  
Wanda flung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his, laughing into the kiss. He hadn't seen her this excited in a long time, he noticed, and congratulated himself on the good idea. “Everything looks so beautiful, have you done all this? And even Alpine is here!” She bent down to scratch the cat behind his ear, obviously delighted by everything.   
“I did it earlier. Your bags are in the car, by the way. Thought you might want them for Christmas.”  
Wanda was awestruck by the fact that he had prepared everything, as it seemed, and that he was so thoughtful. Not a lot of men put that much effort into anniversaries, that coincidentally fell on Christmas.  
“This is absolutely wonderful, thank you. Exactly what I wanted for the holidays. Just you and me, somewhere cozy.” She wrapped her arms around his middle and looked up, smiling brightly. Bucky leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose.  
“Bad news is, the dinner reservation was a way to lure you here, so we'll have to cook something”, he joked, nodding towards the kitchen. “But the fridge is stocked.”  
Wanda chuckled and let go with a shrug. “I'd much rather stay in with you anyway. Maybe we'll get lucky and it snows overnight. Last year we had a white Christmas. Wouldn't that be nice again?” She was already half way into the kitchen as she spoke, walking over to the fridge to inspect what it had to offer. He had prepared for a roast as it seemed, which she appreciated for Christmas, but there was a lot of stuff in the cupboards as well to prepare a nice dinner for them.  
A few hours later, they were spread out on the floor in front of the fireplace, both with a glass of wine and cushions surrounding them to make it more comfortable. Wanda's head was in Bucky's lap and his fingers gently raked through her long hair, as they soaked up the heat of the fire and enjoyed each other's company. Wanda hadn't been feeling too good after dinner, bothered by a dull head ache again and nausea that came and gone in waves. The wine had upset her stomach even more, so she had put it down after couple of sips. It was the smell of the apples in the kitchen, she decided, that made her feel queasy. She had never been a fan of apples in particular, but never before had their smell made her sick. Strange. Maybe she was coming down with something. Would be her luck, just when she was so excited about the holidays.  
Both of them dozed off by the fire and Bucky only woke in the middle of the night, muscles stiff from falling asleep in an uncomfortable position. Carefully, he shifted so that he could get up and scoop Wanda into his arms. She stirred softly, snuggling against his chest, which made him smile, as he carried her upstairs into their former bed. It smelled a bit dusty and he realized he should have changed the sheets, but it was too late now. Gently placing her down, he covered her with the blanket and slipped in next to her, before pulling her back safely into his arm, careful as usual, that the cold metal of his left didn't touch her bare skin. Kissing the back of her head, she closed his eyes again and fell asleep right away.

The next day was filled with anxiety on his part. He tried to hide it by keeping himself busy baking cookies with Wanda and preparing the rest for the holidays, but he was nervous for the surprise he had planned. His anxiety grew, when Wanda's condition seemed to take a turn for the worse and she ended up in the bathroom, throwing up the lunch they had thrown together. This was very unlike her and he was starting to worry that her headaches had a more sinister cause, but when evening came, she had recovered nicely and seemed to be fine as well, although she had forced him to throw the apples out for some reason.  
They spent the rest of the night in front of the fireplace again, talking about everything and nothing, bodies curled up against each other. A chaste kiss from Wanda by midnight led to their clothes being shed and Bucky's lips wandering down her body from jawline to her hipbones, discovering every inch of her soft, pale skin. He was especially gentle when he reached the scar of her gunshot wound from the previous year, fingers gently grazing over the still visible marks from stitches, before descending further down between her legs. 

That night, they didn't get as much sleep. Instead, they started their celebrations early, by enjoying each other's company in all aspects. In the early morning hours, Bucky lazily pulled a blanket over their naked, sweat covered bodies, pulling Wanda closer to fit them both under it. The fire was warm and had heated the floor in front of it as well, so they were not endangered to get cold. Wanda was already dozing off against his chest, and so he accepted that they would just spend the night here.  
“I love you”, he whispered in her ear, which made her smile in her half awake state. Christmas couldn't get any better than this and he fell asleep too, forgetting what the next morning would bring and the nervousness that had possessed him all day because of it.


	15. Rubies and other surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no self control, so you'll get two chapters in one night. Enjoy!

Bucky woke when the sun was already streaming into the living room, realizing that the fire had gone out and it was pretty cold. Instead of Wanda, he had Alpine curled up in his arm, but he heard noises coming from the kitchen, so expected her to be up already. Today was the day. Christmas morning was here and his heart immediately fluttered in his chest as he sat up.  
Wanda was humming in the kitchen, making pancakes and coffee for them, a blanket loosely wrapped around her form. It was colder in the house now without the fireplace, but she was too distracted to feel cold. She felt tired after the last night, but her head was fine for once and she was starving. Luckily, she heard Bucky mutter softly in the other room, guessing he was talking to Alpine, who had taken her place earlier, when she had got up to make breakfast. A few minutes later, Bucky's arms wrapped around her from behind and his lips trailed down her neck to her exposed shoulder blade.  
“Mornin”, he murmured against her skin.  
“Good morning and merry Christmas”, Wanda said cheerfully, turning her head to steal a kiss. “There won't be presents until after breakfast, because I am starving”, she added, flipping a pancake in the pan to keep it from burning.  
“Fair. I'll restart the fire,but I think we should put some clothes on”, Bucky chuckled, before shuffling back into the living room, while Wanda finished making breakfast and set the table for them. She had to admit that she was starting to freeze a little, so she quickly went upstairs to put some comfortable clothes on and bring his gifts downstairs. Placing them under the tree, she then ushered him towards the table, so that they could eat.  
“I think you dislocated my shoulder last night”, Bucky groaned in mock exasperation and earned a kick against the shin under the table. “I was NOT that rough with you”, Wanda complained, mouth full with pancake.

“No, but heavy. You slept on my arm all night”, Bucky retorted with a laugh, obviously just teasing. He did feel sore, but mostly because of all the other things they had done last night, not necessarily their sleeping position. Their banter continued for the rest of their breakfast and by the time Wanda was cleaning the dishes away, Bucky's nerves were getting the better of him again, as he paced through the living room. When Wanda joined him again, he tried to act as normal as possible, but he knew she caught on. Her powers sensed his unease and she glanced over at him every now and then, trying to figure out what was wrong.  
As they sat on the floor and exchanged gifts, his gaze fell on the necklace he had given her last year, which she had worn every single day. Little had they known that last year this time, it would be the beginning of something so beautiful, that he felt he didn't deserve it. After everything he had done in the many decades as the Winter Soldier, it felt surreal to think that he was sitting here, with the most wonderful, kindhearted and brave woman he had ever met, knowing that she was his. And hopefully, he would make that even more official now.  
Placing the last gift he had unwrapped aside, he watched as she pulled her last gift from her stocking. He had placed it carefully at the bottom, making sure she would get it last. His heart sped up and he licked his bottom lip, trying to battle the sudden dryness in his mouth. He watched anxiously as Wanda peeled the wrapping paper away and held the small box in her hands.  
She smiled cheerfully down at the little box and opened, gasping at the beautiful ring on the inside. It was silver, with a ruby in the middle, the color of the energy she could command. Before she could open her mouth to tell Bucky how beautiful it was, he had inched closed and took the hand that wasn't holding the box.  
“I'm not particularly good at this, I'm afraid, but...I love you, Wanda and I would....I wanted to ask you, if you would be my wife”, he said, his voice shaking slightly and a his grip a little too strong in his nervousness. “Not immediately, of course. It's been only a year and I don't want to rush anything, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you and -” The rest of the words was kept from tumbling from his lips, as Wanda pressed hers to them in a deep kiss that tasted of salt. And when she pulled back, he could see that she was crying, even though she laughed softly.   
“Yes!”

It felt like a huge was lifted off his chest and he laughed as well, pulling her into his arms and kissing her again. He hadn't expected her to say yes, somehow. It was obvious that she loved him, but he was aware that a year was not a long time by modern standards. His slightly old fashioned views were outdated and just because it would have been fairly normal in his time, that wasn't necessarily the standard Wanda had grown up with. Nonetheless, she has said yes and he couldn't have been happier. Hell, he had probably never been happier than in this exact moment. Holding her close to his chest, he took the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger, as it was custom, pressing his lips against her forehead.  
“I'm glad you said yes. It would have been an awkward rest of the day otherwise”, he finally joked, trying to shrug off the rest of his anxiety. The tension he had felt the last couple of days was finally leaving him and he felt like he could enjoy the rest of the holidays now. They sat wrapped up in an embrace for a while, before deciding to take a nice walk through the woods. Snow hadn't come the previous night and the sun was shining brightly outside, so fresh air would definitely revive them a little, as both were pretty tired from a short night. It was cold as they went outside, followed by Alpine, who walked with them like a dog, only disappearing into the brushes a couple of times, without losing track of his humans.  
When they returned, Wanda almost immediately passed out on the couch and Bucky did the same in the seat by the fireplace. He woke up a little while later to the sound of retching, coming from the bathroom and was up in a second to check on Wanda. She was white as a sheet as he walked in, rinsing her mouth over the sink.   
“Hey”, he said softly, running a hand over her back in a soothing motion, worry etched upon his features. Something was obviously wrong with her and he was getting anxious about it. She didn't seem seriously ill, but throwing up for no reason, combined with fatigue and headaches was definitely not normal either. “Maybe we should go back to the compound and have someone check on you”, he suggested, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, but Wanda shook her head. “No, it's fine. Maybe I just caught a bug or something. I already feel better. They can take a look at it after Christmas”, she said dismissively and Buck knew that she hated doctors. After what the Hydra scientists had done to her, he couldn't really blame her.

He forced her back on the couch for the rest of the day, making sure she was hydrated and ate something, which she did and kept it in. That calmed his nerves, but he still insisted they went to bed early that night, to make sure she got enough rest. He watched her sleep for a long time, brows furrowed as he listened to her breathing, trying to figure out what could be wrong with her. The day had begun so perfectly and now he went to bed worrying that his fiance had an underlying, serious medical condition. That was something he had never considered and he fell asleep worried, dreaming all sorts of confusing things that night.  
The next morning, Wanda was already awake again and although she hadn't thrown up anymore, she definitely didn't feel well and he saw it. She nibbled on a dry toast, which was all she had agreed on having, trying not to look at the food on his plate. After a long silence between them, in which Bucky considered his next words carefully, his head finally rose and he looked at her from across the table.  
“I'm not an expert at this, y'know, love. But I was just thinking...it's been a while since you had your last period, right?”  
He could be mistaken, but thinking back, he was sure it had been more than a month.  
Wanda's brows furrowed at his words and the toast sank back on the plate before her, as she tried to determine whether he was right, or not. She usually had a tracker on her phone for it, but hadn't kept up with it lately between missions. The weeks leading up to Christmas had been busy for them, as they had tried to clear the holidays for free time and work off everything else before that.   
“I'm not sure”, she finally said, shaking her head and blinking slightly. “But either way, we're using protection, if that is what you're hinting at. So it can't be.”  
Bucky sipped his coffee and shrugged.   
“Everything is possible. Maybe I have super sperms”, he stated seriously, which only earned a hearty laugh from Wanda, who rolled her eyes.  
“Yeah, you wish. I'm sure it's just a bug.”

His words got her thinking anyway, although she tried to tell herself that there was no way this was a thing. She was very meticulous with the pill and had never forgotten one in the last year, so this was impossible, wasn't it? The more she thought about it throughout the day, however, the more worried she became. Bucky did have a point, now that she was thinking about it, because she honestly couldn't remember when her last period had been, because the last weeks had been a blur. She was quiet until the evening and didn't mind that they decided to have a relaxed day at the house, reading and watching some TV. Right before dinner, her anxiety over this had reached its peak and she decided that they would drop by the store after dinner to grab a pregnancy test. Bucky offered to go alone, so she could stay in the warmth of the house, but she wasn't entirely sure he knew what those even looked like, so she came along. Since they were pretty known after everything that had transpired in the last few years, she told Bucky to wait in the car, while she went into the store and grabbed a couple of tests, as well as some other things, to give the impression that she hadn't just come for the tests.   
Back in the car, she gave Bucky a nervous smile as they drove back, holding his hand on the way, eyes falling down on the ring every now and then. It felt so surreal that this was all happening during one holiday and she didn't even know what she wanted the test to tell her. They hadn't ever properly discussed having children anytime soon, nor having them at all. Both of them came with a lot of emotional baggage and she wasn't sure they were ready for this. Then again, a pregnancy was probably better than a serious illness. And she secretly wasn't opposed to the idea of having a family. This was definitely not the point in time she had envisioned, but whatever happened, happened.  
Back at the safe house, Wanda unpacked one of the tests and read how it worked.  
“What do we do”, Buck asked and she could see that he felt uneasy.   
“I pee on it and then we wait two minutes.” She chewed on her bottom lip and tried to muster up the will to do it. “Says you should do it in the morning, but I bought a couple, so we can just repeat it in the morning.”  
“Okay”, he agreed and scratched his head, nodding.   
Wanda exhaled deeply, then went into the bathroom to use the test. Placing it on the sink with the displace facing downwards, she stared into the mirror at her reflection, fingers tapping on the counter. She checked her watch to make sure that she kept an eye on the time, mind almost blank. Her heart was racing in her chest, but there was absolutely no telling what the better outcome would be. Maybe no baby. That would be easier for both of them, she suspected.  
“Two minutes are over”, Bucky called from outside the door and Wanda realized she had never told him to come in.  
“You can come in”, she said loudly, waiting for him to join her. “I'm scared”, she admitted softly, which wiped her serious expression from Bucky's face and replaced it with something softer. He gently took one of her hands in his and leaned in to kiss her forehead.   
“It's okay. On the count of 3?”  
“Okay”, Wanda agreed softly, picking the test up, still facing down.  
“1, 2, 3.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no self control, so you'll get two chapters in one night. Enjoy!


	16. 1, 2, 3

“1, 2, 3.”  
Wanda took a deep breath and turned the test around, eyes darting downwards immediately. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she couldn't help but squint a little, as she tried to decipher it. Bucky seemed to have the same issue.  
“So...what's supposed to happen”, he asked, because those things hadn't existed in his time and he wasn't sure what they were looking for. He could see a line, potentially another very faint one, but he wasn't so sure about that.  
“Well, one line means not pregnant, two lines mean pregnant”, Wanda stated, who had grabbed the box of the test and read on it. That in itself didn't help either one of them, however, because there wasn't just one line, but neither a distinct second line.  
“I mean...it looks like there is a shadow of another line”, Bucky offered, scratching his cheek, while Wanda twisted the test and held it against the light.  
“Yes, but it should be just as pink as the other. I think that means negative”, she said with a shrug and threw it into a bin. “We did leave it long enough.”  
Bucky licked his bottom lip and looked at her imploringly. “Is negative good, or bad?” He wasn't sure what she had been hoping for and didn't want to make any assumptions, which could end in hurting her feelings. He himself didn't really know what to think, in all honesty. The possibility itself filled him with panic and warmth alike, so he wanted to believe that it was alright either way. If it had accidentally happened, they would find a way to make it work. If it hadn't, they could plan the point in time and make active steps towards it, when they felt ready.

“I don't know”, she replied honestly with a shrug, because just as Bucky, she was very unsure how to think about the whole situation. “I guess it's good? I mean, we weren't planning for it anyway, so.” Another shrug and she gave him a little smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes, though, and he couldn't help but feel that she wasn't entirely happy with the outcome either. Or just generally just as unsure as he felt.  
He took her hand in his and lifted it, to press a kiss against her knuckles. “C'mon, let's watch some TV and enjoy the rest of Christmas”, Bucky suggested, which Wanda agreed to with a smile, going back downstairs with him to cuddle down on the couch. They were both very quiet that night, gaze fixed on the TV screen mostly, although Bucky sneakily looked over at Wanda to make sure she was okay. Not just mentally, but also physically, given she hadn't really felt well over the holidays. When they snuggled into bed that night, both of them seemed to have found their inner peace again, after the events of the day. Wanda was all smiles, as she looked at her engagement ring in the light of the full moon, body curled against his. There was a certain amount of melancholia in both of them over the engagement; neither one of them had family left to share it with and Bucky knew that in a different world, Pietro would have been the first to know that day. In his case, Steve had already known for a week, because Bucky had forced him to go out and buy the ring with him, as well as give him advice on how to do it best. Truth be told, he had done none of the things he had planned to do, because he had been so nervous, but he assumed Wanda hadn't noticed.

“I need you to know that whatever happens, I'll be with you”, Bucky mumbled against the soft skin of her temple, as he nuzzled his nose against the side of her head. “I didn't give you that ring for no reason, Wanda. Through good and bad times. Through planned and unplanned adventures, no matter what. We've both been through a lot, before we knew each other but from now on, whatever life throws our way, we'll get through it together.”  
His words were soft and filled Wanda with warmth, as she rolled onto her side to look at him. “Together”, she agreed in a whisper, running her fingers through his hair and kissing him gently. Against all odds and worries she had in the beginning, of being too much and wanting things too quickly, they had braved their first year together and although that was probably not a very long time, it was by far long enough to know that they were meant to last. It hadn't been easy 12 months by far and they still worked on things, but they did it together, as Bucky had said and she doubted that there was anything they couldn't master.  
Snuggling closer against his chest, she wrapped her arms around him and sighed softly with content. This had been the second Christmas in over a decade that had been wonderful, both thanks to him and she appreciated it very much. It was easy to feel lonely and sad during holidays, when your family was dead and family seemed to be all that mattered during those days, but Bucky had become her home and everything was better with him there.

The next morning, they had to pack their things up and head back to the compound. Alpine was not amused, neither was Wanda, who had enjoyed the quiet of their former home immensely. Bucky also preferred the more rural and simple life here to the one they led at the compound, but they had a responsibility, so once everything was in the trunk of the car, they headed back to where they were hopefully not desperately needed already. Luckily, there had been no call over the holidays, which was already a good sign and Bucky hoped it would continue for a few days, so that they had time to celebrate the beginning of the new year in peace as well. Upon arriving, they weren't presented with the end of days by the few staff members that were present, which meant that they could withdraw into their apartment and enjoy some more free time. Alpine was displeased in being back, because he didn't have the same outdoor experience at the compound as he had at the safe house, and promoted his bad mood by peeing on their bed. That at least kept them busy for a couple of hours, because laundry was a must now and Wanda decided to clean the whole place, now that she was already at it. Bucky mostly tried to stay out of her way, because she kept correcting him, whenever he thought he was being helpful, so he sat on the couch with his legs up, holding Alpine in his lap, while Wanda felt the need to dust under the couch, under the bed, inside the closet and in some other random places.   
“Do you always get that after holidays”, he called towards the bathroom, where Wanda was scrubbing the shower for no reason.  
“No. Yes. I don't know, maybe? I just feel like I haven't been productive for days now and there is dust everywhere because we were gone.”  
“Wanda, we were gone for 2,5 days, not weeks.”  
“Still.”  
Bucky blinked and accepted his fate, turning the TV on to have something to do himself. Maybe Wanda would join him in due time, once her OCD was wearing off. It worked and after half an hour of finishing up the bathroom, she settled down next to him. He could tell right away, however, that something was bothering her, because she kept chewing her bottom lip, which she always did, when she had something to say, but didn't know how to.

“What is it”, he asked softly, turning the sound off on the TV, so that he could focus on her and she'd be forced to look over at him.  
Wanda opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, and Bucky KNEW she had wanted to say 'Nothing'.  
“I want to take another test”, she finally said still chewing her lip anxiously.   
“Okay”, Bucky replied with a nod, because he understood that she was not entirely convinced after their first attempt that was a bit dubious.  
“Then we'll do another. But maybe this time we should do it like you're supposed to, in the morning?”  
His suggestion was a good one and Wanda thought about it for a second, before nodding. “Yeah, that sounds good. I'm just...not feeling entirely like myself. And I've googled pregnancy symptoms earlier in the car, so...”  
“Ah. Hence the cleaning frenzy”, Bucky chuckled, because he understood now that she had tried to distract herself from thinking about it too much. She had that habit.   
“As I said, whatever happens, happens. It'll be fine either way”, he added, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. He definitely wasn't as calm about it, as he was trying to be, but there was nothing they could change about it anyway. IF she was pregnant, it had already happened and they would just approach it with the best of their abilities. If not, then there was nothing to worry about for now. But he did agree that the first test had raised more questions than answers.

Neither one of them slept well that night. Wanda tossed and turned next to him, which even chased Alpine out of their bed and Bucky felt himself drift in and out of sleep. He woke rather groggy around 7 in the morning, to find the bed next to him empty already. Wanda was in the other room passed out on the couch, with a book on her chest. Apparently she had got up earlier and tried to read, but fell asleep again. He smiled down at her and leaned over the couch to kiss her forehead, which woke her with a start.  
“'m sorry”, he laughed at her startled expression, which softened right away at his sight.  
“Oh dear, I fell asleep again”, Wanda mumbled and ran a hair through her tousled hair.   
“Should we address the elephant in the room then and get it over with? Otherwise you'll start cleaning again and I don't want to spend another day confined to the couch”, he joked, although he didn't feel entirely relaxed.  
Wanda took a deep breath and nodded, slipping from the couch and heading towards the bathroom. The second test was already resting on the sink there and Bucky, always the gentleman, waited outside until she had peed on the stick, before entering and keeping a close eye on the watch, so that they waited the allotted time, before checking the test.  
“Alright, time's up. On the count of three again?”  
He smiled encouragingly at Wanda, who nodded briefly.  
“1, 2, 3.”  
She picked up the test from the edge of the sink and turned it around so both of them could take a look.  
Two bright pink lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me longer than anticipated, because Disney+ was launched in my country and i was a bit preoccupied this past week :D I hope you are all still healthy and not going bonkers in this quarantine time <3 thank you for the wonderful feedbacks on the last two chapters, they make me so so so happy, you have no idea <333


	17. Two pink lines

There was a long moment of silence between them, in which both Bucky and Wanda just quietly stared at the test in her hand, trying to comprehend the full gravity of it. This time around, there was no doubt that the test was positive, because the two pink lines were bold and brightly shining up at them. What had been questionable before, was without a doubt clear now and neither one of them knew how to truly feel about it in this moment. They had not planned a pregnancy, so this rater came as a shock, then a triumphant joy over the fact that they would be parents. Although Bucky had meant it, when he had told her that they could manage anything together, he couldn't help but feel like free falling in that moment, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind and Wanda's silence indicated that she was feeling similarly.   
When she finally exhaled audibly, it snapped him out of his own mind and he searched for her gaze, hands still holding hers.  
“Hey, look at me”, he said softly and saw that she was white as a sheet when she looked up at him. “It's a good thing, isn't it? You always wanted children.”  
He tried to swallow down his anxiety and rising panic and sound as positive as possible. It didn't seem to have a great effect on Wanda, however.  
“Yes, but...I thought we'd plan it at some point along the line, not like this. And not so early. I'm not sure we are ready for this.” She sighed heavily and ran a hand over her face, saying exactly what Bucky felt, but since she had already put it into words, he felt obliged to show a more uplifting attitude, in order to make Wanda feel better.  
“Well, I wasn't planned either, but my mama raised me right. Some good things come as a surprise and it's not like we'll be parents in the next days. We'll have a couple of months to get used to the idea.” That thought seemed to lift some of the weight off of Wanda's shoulders, because she nodded slowly, before giving him a careful smile. Bucky leaned in to kiss her forehead, then turned towards the door.   
“I'm going to make us some breakfast downstairs. Any wishes?”  
Wanda shook her head and smiled, before turning away to throw the test in a bin and take a shower. She was grateful he had left her alone for a couple of minutes, because it gave her enough time to pull herself together and order her thoughts, knowing he needed it as much as her. No matter how madly in love they were, this wasn't just an accidental pregnancy and they both knew it. They were two genetically altered people, who had no idea what those modifications would entail during a pregnancy. On top of that, they were famous Avengers with a dangerous job and no way to keep a child entirely hidden from the public eye. Wanda definitely needed a good conversation with Clint and Pepper in the upcoming months, to find out how they managed to keep their children safe and happy. But for right now, they probably just needed to stay calm. They would need to make an appointment with a doctor that was trustworthy, to confirm the accuracy of the test and see, whether or not the baby was alive and growing well. As someone who never voluntarily saw medical professionals, after what had been done to her at the Hydra labs in Sokovia, this was already causing her a lot of anxiety just thinking about it. But they would manage, somehow.  
Wanda felt better after her shower and when she went downstairs for breakfast, Bucky seemed a lot more relaxed as well. He had made waffles and refused to give her coffee, because she was no longer allowed to have caffeine. As they sat down together, he reached across the table to give her hand a gentle squeeze, smiling encouragingly over at her.   
“I'd say we'll let this sink in for a couple of days and then call in with one of the SHIELD doctors, what do you think?”  
Wanda nodded, swallowing down the piece of waffle she was chewing on.   
“Sounds like a good plan. Maybe after New Year's, when everyone is back from the holidays. There is no rush right now, is there? I think I'll need a bit of time to wrap my head around it and brace myself for the madness that is to come. We'll have to get a lot of testing done, because of our powers, I assume...”  
Her words trailed off and she could see Bucky's face harden a little. It was hard enough that Hydra had altered them, but the last thing either one of them wanted, was that this could potentially affect an unborn child of theirs as well. The idea alone made him feel sick and furious, so he took care to take a sip of coffee and not allow his mind to wander there just yet. For all they knew, this might nothing they could pass on to their kids.  
“Who would have thought that our holidays would end with an engagement and a baby”, he finally joked, to lighten the mood and Wanda laughed a little. “I guess we're just not very normal – in any way”, she retorted and winked, pouring more syrup over her waffles. “I guess the wedding will either have to wait until after the baby, or happen soon, because I want to look good in my wedding dress.”   
Bucky chuckled and shook his head slightly.  
“You'll look good either way, but I accept that wish. There's no one rushing us. I didn't give you that ring to marry you in the next three weeks. I just wanted to bring a point across.”  
“That I am yours?”  
“This and that I plan to bug you for the rest of our lives. You're not going to get rid of me anymore. What did I always tell Steve? Til the end of the line. I mean that with you, too. I may be a bastard, but at least I'm a loyal one.”  
Wanda laughed and kicked his leg under the table in mock outrage. “Don't call yourself a bastard! You're the biggest gentleman I know. You open doors for me, help me into my jacket, make me breakfast, plan a perfect Christmas getaway, remove coffee from my life 5 minutes after you found out I am pregnant – nah, you're a keeper.”  
The mood was light for the rest of their breakfast and whilst Bucky went down to the training room after that, Wanda retreated back upstairs to their apartment to do some chores. In all honesty, she enjoyed the therapeutic monotony of folding away laundry and making their bed, after the events of the morning. It was still a lot to process and she didn't want to allow herself to get too excited over this yet, given it had to be confirmed by a doctor first and they already knew that this road would not be an easy one, but still – she found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror, every time she walked past it, eyes trained on her stomach, until she finally stopped in front of it and lifted her shirt, staring at the still flat and smooth skin there. In a few weeks from now, this would hopefully form into a little bump and she could already vividly imagine it. Her hand ran over her abdomen with utmost gentleness, a smile forming on her lips. This was unexpected and unplanned and neither one of them knew yet HOW it had happened, but they'd make the best of it. At the beginning of December the previous year, she had felt alone in the world, desperately missing her family and the friends they had lost along the way, trapped in a dark mindset and a hospital bed, after their Russia mission had gone wrong. Never would she have imagined to be expecting a child and being engaged a little over a year later. Sometimes life clearly worked in miraculous ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than the previous chapters, because I have been feeling under the weather this past week, struggling through a massive flare up of my chronic gastritis, but I still wanted to give you guys an update asap. Hope you like it, hang in there!


	18. You gotta be kidding me

They let two weeks pass between the first test they took at home and the decision to finally ask for a medical check up by the SHIELD doctors stationed at the compound. They had their own hospital wing and although Wanda had initially felt uncomfortable seeing them, given that news would most likely immediately spread beyond the compound to Fury and whoever ran the newly regrouped organization these days, she had come to the conclusion that going to a regular doctor's office, was also a bad idea for someone like her. At least the doctors at the compound would only report back to their superiors in the worst case, while a general doctor might give information up to the media, putting a target not only on Wanda's back, but on their baby as well. If the wrong people knew about this child, it was undoubtedly something they wanted to get their hands on, as it combined the DNA of two infamous former HYDRA experiments.  
Since her safety and that of the baby were of utmost importance to Bucky as well, he had agreed to her decision, always leaving it up to her to make it, because he felt like it was her body, so she got to choose their next steps. Although Wanda obviously valued his opinions and knew they were in this together, she appreciated the sentiment and his patience with her, as she let the news sink in fully, before they even talked about making an appointment.  
It was no secret to both of them, that this appointment could end very good, or very badly right away. And that was something Wanda had wanted to be ready for mentally, because they weren't just ordinary parents going for the first checkup. They had no idea how their altered DNA might affect the growing child inside of her and it was more than possible, that the ultrasound would show them genetic abnormalities in some shape or form, or even confirm that the baby wouldn't be able to flourish and grow in the next months, because her own body was unable to sustain a pregnancy, due to the energy cursing through it.  
All of these potential outcomes of the doctor's visit had ghosted through Wanda's mind for two weeks now and although she had felt ready to face them head on, on the morning of the appointment she couldn't find any of that sentiment within her anymore. She had slept poorly that night and felt incredibly nervous at the breakfast table, trying to act as normal as possible, because Sam was around, who had no idea yet. Although he was a good friend, Bucky and Wanda had decided to keep the news to themselves until after their first tests were done, just so they didn't have to inform too many people in case of a negative outcome.  
Bucky hadn't even come down to eat and preferred to take a long shower, potentially avoiding meeting anyone and being unable to overplay the knot in the pit of his stomach. He was just as anxious about this as Wanda, because he couldn't deny the fact that he had grown rather comfortable with the idea of having a child in the past few weeks. Surprisingly, it hadn't freaked him out as much as he thought it would and although he tried to brave himself for everything that could go wrong, his mind mostly dwelled on all the beautiful memories they could possibly make in the future. Maybe that was a new flaw of his he hadn't discovered earlier. He couldn't face worst case scenarios when it came to his own family.  
One thing had become obvious in these 14 days, however: Wanda was definitely pregnant. The symptoms started to become more prominent with each passing day and aside from morning sickness, she also developed other side effects, none of them very pleasant so far. She was constantly tired, her boobs hurt and her mood swings were epic. For someone who was usually very evenly tempered, Wanda had turned into a hurricane of emotions, generally focused on herself, though. She never lashed out at Bucky, or got upset over something he did, but rather started crying for seemingly no reason, or really got annoyed at herself. Either way, she was secretly grateful for all of the side effects, because they gave her hope that everything was progressing as it should.   
Since the medical facility was in the same building, they had been told to just come in whenever that day. There was rarely a need for a gynecologist, which was why they had not seen a doctor earlier, because SHIELD had to send someone in. Their regular medical staff just consisted of field nurses and whoever else was running around down there, Wanda didn't really know. They hadn't used that part of the compound yet, as missions had been rare and no one had come back injured from their last trips. It was quite reasonable to have their own med bay though, so they all appreciated SHIELD  
's generosity.   
Taking her time to clean up her cereal bowl and wiping down the counter, Wanda only absentmindedly noticed that Sam had headed out already to go train. He had asked if Bucky was up for a little sparring and in order not to raise any suspicions, Wanda had told him that she'd ask and he would join Sam downstairs in the training area, if he was interested. Obviously, he had other things to do this morning, but that would remain their secret for the time being.  
Once back upstairs, she found Bucky in their living room, standing by the window with Alpine on his arm, eyes trained at the landscape outside. He seemed lost in thoughts and appeared almost startled when she approached, an easy smile spreading across his features a moment later.  
“Are we going down to the lab”, he asked and Wanda could tell that he was nervous as well, although he did his best to cover it up. Bending down, he sat Alpine on the floor and loosely wrapped his arms around Wanda's waist, pressing a kiss against her forehead.   
Wanda let her head fall against his chest and nodded slightly, although she currently didn't want to move. Everything felt less threatening when he had his arms wrapped around her like this, giving her the impression that the outside world couldn't hurt them. “Yeah, let's go”, she finally mumbled with a sigh and rose to her toes to kiss him quickly, before putting her hair up in a bun and heading towards the door, to prevent herself from reconsidering. She knew that nothing was won by avoiding the inevitable and clarity would help both of them in the long run, no matter if the outcome was positive, or negative.   
Bucky followed with a nod and didn't waste any time to take hold of her hand as they walked towards the elevator, knowing she needed the reassurance. This was a chapter in their lives they hadn't expected so quickly and although it was unplanned, he couldn't say it was unwanted by either one of them. They had spent many evenings talking about it and always came to the conclusion that yes, they would have preferred more time to run tests on themselves BEFORE trying for a child, so that they knew it was safe, but ultimately, it had happened and they'd make the best of it. At least they had been on the same page with the fact that they both WANTED children in general. Anything else would have been rather unpleasant by now. And although Bucky had been nervous about the prospect previously, unsure if it was a good idea to father children, given that he was still a semi-stable 100 year old man with a history of violent crimes in the name of Hydra, his many conversations with Wanda in the past two weeks had eased his mind significantly and he was more sure than ever, that they could handle it.  
The elevator moved exceptionally fast this day, or at least so it seemed. Within the blink of an eye, they had reached the floor that housed the labs and medical facilities, while Wanda was still trying to brace herself for what was to come. She wanted nothing more than to be excited and overjoyed by the prospect of seeing their baby for the first time, but in that moment, she mainly just felt dread. Dread that the happy outcome she secretly prayed for, would not be given to them. Her life had never been easy and everything good had come at a high price, so she was mentally prepared for the fact that this was not going to be handed to them on a golden plate either.   
The only good part was, that due to her overall anxiety concerning the baby, she had entirely forgotten her fear of medical examinations. That only dawned on her the minute they entered the hospital wing and the smell of sanitizer and medication hang heavy in the air, making her insides churn at the memories that brought back. Before her mind could focus on that too well, however, a friendly looking woman approached them, introducing herself as Dr. McKenzie, the specialist SHIELD had asked to be available for them. She was aware with both Bucky's and Wanda's medical history – or at least the information that was available to SHIELD – and had everything they needed for that day set up in a private room in the back. Wanda appreciated that very much, because the room they were led into, looked more like a regular office, than part of a hospital.  
“I will try to be as open and transparent with you as possible, but if there are any questions at any point, feel free to ask. I'll explain everything as we go, but I am sure that sometimes I say things that are very clear to me, but not necessarily to you, so don't hesitate and pester me”, the doctor stated in a calm and friendly manner, before pointing at a chair.   
“If you would sit down there first, so I can get some blood samples before the ultrasound? We'll need those to check for your health and the HCG levels in your blood, which determine whether the pregnancy is progressing as it should. Those hormone levels should constantly rise, especially in the beginning, which is why I like to keep a good eye on them. Other than that, I like to keep tabs on your own levels to detect vitamin deficiencies, anemia and other issues early on, that can occur in pregnancy and cause you issues that are preventable.”  
Wanda was grateful that the doctor naturally seemed to be so open for explaining every step, because it calmed her down tremendously. Sitting down in the chair, Bucky was still holding her hand protectively and watched every movement of the doctor, as she prepared the necessary instruments. “It'll just be a minute. If you start feeling dizzy, let me know. You should probably look away, because it makes most pregnant women quite nauseous to look at it”, the woman advised, but Wanda insistently looked at everything she did, even when the syringe filled with blood. It didn't bother her, however, and the whole procedure was over in a short moment. “Great. Since I'll be staying here for the time being, I can give you the results later today. You're my only patient, which makes everything a bit easier”, she said with a wink, before getting up and storing the vials she had taken.  
Turning back to Bucky and Wanda, she smiled amicably. “Great. First hurdle taken, now onto the next and probably most exciting one. If you'd lay down on the bed here, we can take a look at the baby and have a conversation after that about our next steps and everything else you'll need to know.”  
Wanda slowly rose from the chair, mindful to detect dizziness BEFORE fainting, but she felt fine and quickly made her way over to the bed on the other side of the room, feeling her heart hammer in her chest again. Now came the moment of truth. While she climbed on top of it, Bucky sat down on a chair next to her, taking hold of her hand again, while he gave her a brief, reassuring smile. Whatever happened, he got her.   
The doctor pulled an ultrasound closer to the bed and turned it, so that both Bucky and Wanda could see the screen. “I'm just gonna spread a bit of unpleasantly cold gel on your belly and then we'll take a look at that little peanut of yours. Do you have a rough idea how far along you are?”  
Wanda pulled her shirt up to reveal her bare abdomen, before shaking her head. “No, absolutely none. We always used protection, we never had an accident we know of, so I have no clue. My first symptoms started in the week leading up to Christmas, though”, she stated, her mouth suddenly dry and breathing a little hitched. All she wanted was to leap up from the bed and run for cover and it bothered her. This was supposed to be something positive and yet all she could think of was the possibility of a negative outcome.  
The gel was spread on her stomach with the ultrasound head and after typing a few things on the keyboard, a picture appeared on the screen that looked very....gray and blurry to Wanda and Bucky. “Alright, here we go. I could explain every detail of what we're looking at to you, but I guess this still just looks like a gray mass to you either way, so basically, this is your inside. We're gonna go a bit lower now and check on baby”, Dr. McKenzie explained, as she moved the head further down, fixing it in place after a moment. Wanda stared at the screen and couldn't believe her eyes, when she could actually make out a shape amid the gray, one that twitched slightly when the doctor moved the ultrasound head a little.   
“Oh...”, Wanda whispered and immediately felt tears prickle behind her eyes, while Bucky's grip on her hand hardened.  
“Well, here you are, little one”, the doctor said and smiled contently. “As you can see, this is your little one, currently happily moving around there. Let's see if we can listen to the heartbeat.” She typed on the keyboard and a moment later, the sound of a strong, fast beat echoed from the computer. Wanda clasped her free hand in front of her mouth to stifle a sob and even Bucky's eyes glistened a little wet as she looked over at him, happiness radiating from her in a way he hadn't seen in a while.  
Dr. McKenzie looked over and smiled, just as glad as the future parents that all of this appeared absolutely as it should. “I'm going to take a few measurements now to see where we're at. Size, weight, look at the limbs we can currently see. Heart looks absolutely perfect and judging by the development and size of the baby, you're in your 9th week of pregnancy”, she told them, once again using the computer to measure whatever there was to note down, while both Wanda and Bucky were transfixed by the screen. The heartbeat had stopped, because the doctor was now using the ultrasound to collect the data they needed, but they could still get glimpses of the baby every now and then and marvel at the fact that this was REAL.  
After a moment of silence, the doctor turned back to Bucky and Wanda. “Alright, everything looks absolutely as it should. So far the baby is developed as it should be, heart is strong, size perfect and there is absolutely nothing to criticize. I am going to print you some pictures and then we can sit down to discuss where we go from here. Congratulations to both of you.”   
Wanda was wiping at her cheeks and returned the doctor's smile vibrantly, before taking the offered paper towel to clean her belly from the gel. Dr. McKenzie printed the ultrasound pictures and held them out for Bucky to take, who gently accepted them and stared down at the little blob that was his growing baby, not fully grasping that reality yet. All of this felt like a dream at the moment.  
The three of them moved over to the desk in the back of the room, sitting down in chairs.   
“Alright, there is a lot to talk about and I am sure both of you are quite overwhelmed at the moment, so I suggest we keep it minimal for today and I'll get your results until tomorrow so we can discuss those and more detailed things that will come up in the next weeks. Generally I suggest this: we're going to monitor you closely on a weekly basis, keep an eye on your health and the growth of the baby and once we have reached a certain gestation stage, we can run a number of genetic tests, in case there is no indicator for abnormalities until then. The first trimester is the most dangerous one when it comes to miscarriages, but obviously genetic testing for defects or other issues can only be done when the baby's development of inner organs, limbs and such things has reached a certain level. As of right now, everything looks perfect and there is no reason to believe otherwise. But I know you've both experienced your fair share of experimental medicine and alternation of your DNA sequences, so it's best to keep a close eye on that, since we have no idea what effects that might have.”  
Wanda was glad that the doctor saw the same issues Bucky and her had been worried about and addressed them so openly. This was exactly what they had intended to discuss with the physician, wanting to make sure all of their bases were covered.   
“I will be here from now on, so if there is every any concern whatsoever, just come down and we'll take a look. How have you been feeling so far? Have you experienced any severe symptoms I should know of, or abnormalities in your powers?”  
Wanda shook her head softly.  
“No, I've been a bit nauseous on and off, more sensitive to smell lately and a bit over emotional, but other than that, I haven't had any issues. My powers have remained stable so far.”  
The doctor nodded and noted it down, before smiling. “That sounds great then. Do you have any questions, or would you like to stop by tomorrow for the results and ask me whatever you thought of then?”  
Wanda's mind was rather blank at the moment, although she was sure there had been questions before, but now that the tension had left her body, she felt so much at ease that the negativity that had dominated her mind was gone.   
“I can't think of anything right now”, she replied and looked at Bucky, who also shook his head.  
“Alright, just note down everything that comes to mind until tomorrow and we'll talk about it then. I'll give you some prenatal vitamins that I'd like you to take from now on, because they will help you and the baby in the upcoming months, but other than that, I'll see you tomorrow to look at the lab results.” She handed Wanda a pill bottle and rose from her seat to shake both their hands and see them out of the room.  
Once outside of the hospital area, Bucky grabbed Wanda around the waist and lifted her up, kissing her excitedly and holding her close. She laughed against his lips and returned the kiss, before struggling to get back down to her feet.   
“We're having a baby”, he stated with a big grin on his lips, that made Wanda laugh out loud.  
“We do. It's definitely happening”, she replied laughing, as they made their way to the elevator, feeling ten times lighter than before. They both knew that this had only been the first step of many in the upcoming months, but they'd take one at a time. Today everything looked good and that mattered.  
They stepped into the elevator, Bucky's arm draped around Wanda's shoulders, both grinning like idiots. They were so overwhelmed still, that a conversation about this would most likely happen once they were in their apartment, but for the moment, both of them marveled on the fact that they had seen the baby, heard the heartbeat and now know it was alive and growing. This was real and no longer just a matter of two lines on a plastic stick.  
The door opened and before either one of them even noticed Sam standing there, sweaty from a training session, his eyes immediately moving to the ultrasound pictures Bucky was still very obviously holding in his hand.  
“You gotta be KIDDING me! Ha!” Sam called out, grinning from ear to ear, as he put two and two together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! sorry for the delay, but my health has been all over the place lately. I am super sorry this took so long, but at least i wrote a bit more than usual to make up for it. I am absolutely overwhelmed by all the nice comments and kudos I got, so THANK YOU everyone, it absolutely makes my day! I hope you're all healthy and hanging in there, let me know if you liked the new chapter <3


	19. Patience

They had a lot of explaining to do for Sam.  
After the elevator incident, there was no way past telling him the truth and although he was absolutely delighted for both of them, Wanda wasn't entirely pleased that this was how things happened. Her regular plan had been to keep the pregnancy to themselves for a couple more weeks, until she was well out of the first trimester and then tell Sam, as well as everyone else. Since the Avengers operated autonomously now and only got the assistance of SHIELD when they requested it, there were no authorities to inform about it, which she was glad about. There came a risk with making it public and she wasn't willing to take it yet. If the news spread past their close knit friends group, it was just a matter of time, until the wrong people heard about it as well.   
Sam wouldn't let them live it down for days on end, constantly cracking jokes and teasing them about it. He was genuinely happy for the, but it was his nature to take everything with a tendency to be goofy about it. Wanda didn't mind, because it alleviated some of the tension she felt as they waited for the blood tests to come back and the medical plan for the upcoming weeks. Luckily, her counts were just as they should be, which took a little bit of weight off her shoulders, but Dr. McKenzie had a long list of tests she wanted to run throughout the pregnancy, which made Wanda rather nervous. As positive as her first encounter with the doctor had been, she still didn't necessarily want to spend every free hour at their hospital wing, getting poked and prodded. It still brought back bad memories of a time spent with Hydra, so she only reluctantly agreed to all of the testings required. She knew they were necessary to determine all the possible risk factors they faced, but she was rather relieved that Dr. McKenzie gave her three weeks of rest first, because the baby had to grow, before they could go deeper into the evaluation.  
So all they had to do was get used to the idea of becoming parents in those first three weeks after the ultrasound. That was a process Wanda was adjusting better to than Bucky, who had started to struggle more than he thought he would. When the reality of their situation set in, he was suddenly very aware of the past decades in his life again, the things he had done as the Winter Soldier and all the horrible deeds that didn't make him dad material at all. Many late night conversations in the living room were the result of that, when Alpine didn't know in whose lap to settle, because both of them were upset. Not with each other, but FOR each other. Wanda's heart ached to see him so distraught and in doubt of his own qualities, something which she understood and yet couldn't quite fathom. To her, he was the most loving, loyal, kind hearted and gentle man anyone could ask for and she had no worry at all that he would make an excellent father. But she also understood where he was coming from. His years with Hydra had left scars that would stay with him for a lifetime, she was sure. No matter how much he healed and how well he managed to move past his experiences, they would always linger in the back of his mind, causing self doubt and insecurities. It made her incredibly sad to know that he couldn't see himself like she did, but it was something she would never get tired of working on with him. One step at a time, she knew it was important to be there for him, free of accusations or disappointment on her part. It was objectively seen a time in which they should have been primarily excited and it dimmed her own happiness to know he couldn't share the sentiment, but never would she have dreamed to hold that against him. They both had their demons to battle and she would stand up against his with him every day of the year, if need be. And maybe she could be happy for the both of them, too.  
In those first weeks, she made sure not to bother him too much with everything that was going on in her body and all the thoughts that crossed her mind. She enjoyed it, when his hand crept atop her stomach at night, or when he randomly wrapped his arms around her during the day, holding her close for a few moments. That was his way of saying sorry for his moods and trying his best to get used to this new stage in their lives. Patience was something Wanda had long learned with him and she could exercise it well. Luckily, her nausea wasn't too severe, nor were any other symptoms, so she could maintain a normal life routine as if nothing much had changed, which she knew was important for him. He needed those moments to be able to breathe, because they were an escape from the inevitable he was trying to avoid. One step at a time. If he came to her to ask how she and the baby were doing, she answered. If he went days without even acknowledging it, she never grew displeased or disappointed in him. Her love for Bucky knew no boundaries and this was just another hurdle they could overcome together.  
When she was 12 weeks pregnant, Bucky and Sam had to go on a mission together, so she had to see Dr. McKenzie on her own. Taking that into consideration, the Dr. decided not to run any major tests, until Bucky was back, because she knew about Wanda's insecurities concerning medical procedures. So it was a great relief to leave the hospital wing only with new ultrasound pictures and no panic attacks, which put her in such a good mood, that she decided to finally call Clint and tell him about the baby. Given Bucky's enthusiasm had been rather dulled lately, she needed to be able to just be HAPPY with someone, without being worried that she was being too much. Just as predicted, Clint mock scolded her for getting pregnant before the wedding and after only a year, but he was genuinely excited for them and they talked for a long time, about everything they had to catch each other up on. It was good for the heart to have a good chat with a close friend for once and it was only then that Wanda realized how much the current situation had dragged down her own mood. For the first time in weeks, she felt light and cheerful when they finally hung up and the sentiment carried on for the next couple of days, until Bucky returned from his mission, equally better tempered. Maybe it had been the distance from home and the ability to take his mind off of things for a couple of days, but he felt better when he returned.  
Coming back to their apartment, it was early morning and he found Wanda sound asleep in their bed, Alpine curled up on his pillow next to her.   
“Have you been taking good care of my girl”, he asked softly and scratched the cat's ears, before kneeling down in front of Wanda's side of the bed, a smile on his features. She was sprawled out on her back, blanket kicked aside and only covering her feet, deeply asleep. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her belly and felt the swell underneath, wondering when she had started to have a little bump. He had already missed so much by now, he couldn't continue this until the baby was suddenly there and he had forgotten to enjoy a single second of the pregnancy. Leaning over, he gently pulled her shirt up and placed a soft kiss below her belly button, eyes closed. It woke Wanda, because his beard stubble tickled her, but she tried to remain still and fake sleep, as not to startle him. He noticed, however, and moved up to press a kiss against her lips.  
“Good morning, sleeping beauty. I'm home”, he mumbled into the kiss and Wanda couldn't help but smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
“Good morning, my favorite hedgehog”, she joked, rubbing her chin after the contact with his. “I like your beard, but this awkward in-between stage of stubble is scratchy.” A hoarse laugh escaped her lips and she stretched out, glancing sideways to the alarm clock on her night stand. Way too early. But she had missed him dearly, so waking up was not that bad. She would just have to take a nap in the afternoon.  
“Did everything go well?” They had spoken the previous night, so she technically knew, but still looked him up and down for potential injuries. Bucky had a tendency to play down everything when it came to him.  
“All went well. Definitely need a vacation from Sam, though. Man, he can talk up a storm when you're not there as a buffer between us. Never stops.” Bucky laughed as well and shook his head with a sigh, before getting up from the bed to take his jacket and boots off. When Wanda wanted to slip out from beneath her covers, he halted her. “No, don't. I was about to join you”, he announced and stripped his clothes down to his boxers, before crawling into bed next to her. Wanda sighed contently, because he was warm and his presence had been missing these past days. She slept a lot better with him next to her.  
Wrapping his arms carefully around her, he pulled Wanda's body against his chest, kissing the crook of her neck.   
“I love you. Both of you”, he whispered in her ear, hand coming to rest on her belly again, where his fingers ran soothing circles against her smooth skin. The sincerity in his voice made her almost emotional – which wasn't hard these days – and she gently placed her hand on his, smiling although he couldn't see it. “We love you, too”, she whispered back and stroked up his arm, feeling warm and fuzzy inside for the first time in weeks.   
“I promise I'll be better. I'm so sorry for what I put you through”, he mumbled, head coming to rest against hers.  
“I don't need your apologies or any promises, Buck. Through good and bad times, remember? I know you love me and the baby, even when you struggle and can't say it, or it doesn't seem like you do. I know you heart and that is all that matters.”  
God, he was so grateful for her. She was the one good thing his life had come up with so far and he was so afraid to ruin it one day, by being...himself.   
“Well, technically we're not married yet, so the 'through good times and bad' doesn't necessarily apply. But thank you anyway”, he joked, before his voice got softer in the end and she breathed another kiss against the back of her head.   
Wanda grinned slightly, before snuggling closer and allowing her eyes to fall shut again. 5AM was a good time to sleep a little more and with him next to her, she easily drifted off into a deep slumber, while Bucky stayed up a little longer, concentrating on his hand and imagining what it would feel like, when the baby kicked for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, friends! Here is another chapter that I hope you'll like <3 I have decided to start having a schedule on here and from now on, I will post a new chapter every SUNDAY. In case I'll be extremely inspired, additional chapters will be posted on WEDNESDAYS! Does that sound okay? Hope you are all doing well <333 comment or leave a kudo if you like


	20. Everything was simpler in the 40`s

“Where are the screws I told you to put on the table?”  
“What screws?!”  
“That is exactly the question.”  
Bucky turned around on his heel and glared over at Sam, who was about to get buried under the wooden board Bucky had let go of a second ago. Holding it upright with one hand and the current status of their construction stable with his foot, he wore a slightly agonized expression when he looked over his shoulder at Bucky.  
“I had no screws. You had the whole bag, Barnes. Don't blame your inability to assemble Ikea furniture on me. You are terrible at reading instructions”, he complained and lowered the board, to shift on the floor and see if he was sitting on something important. The area around him was littered with instruction manuals, small parts they hadn't used yet, larger wooden planks and boards that seemingly belonged nowhere and a vast array of tools no one really knew how to use. Given Bucky's declining mood and the overall chaos of the situation, Sam wished he hadn't just agreed to go to Ikea with him because of the hot dogs, because that had landed him here, in the middle of a furniture puzzle which they were miserably failing at.  
Bucky opened his mouth to repeat that he had explicitly told Sam to put the screws on the table, but shut it again, because he knew that the argument wouldn't lead anywhere. He was at the point in this project, where he had a great desire to use it to fuel the fireplace and give up, accepting that his talents definitely didn't lay in the construction field. Everything had been so much simpler in his days and he felt slightly overwhelmed by modern times.  
“Look, maybe we should just start again and be a bit more structured”, Sam suggested and earned nothing but a groan from Bucky. Running a hand through his hair, that was growing out again, his frustration was obvious, but he also didn't want to give up on his peace offering to Wanda yet. He had been terrible about the whole baby thing in the last couple of weeks and ever since returning from his mission, he had played with the idea of making it up to her in some way, other than obviously being more invested and helpful towards her. So when he saw her checking out cribs on a website, his plan came to fruition and he knew what to get for her. Unfortunately, that great idea was turning into a time consuming failure and he knew that Wanda was going to be back in a bit, after her visit to Clint's farm. Her overnight stay there had been the perfect time frame for Bucky to organize everything – or so he thought. Turned out that he had been born with two left hands and Sam was his absolute equal. Never again would he buy furniture that hadn't been assembled yet.  
“Wanda is going to be back soon. I guess we should just give up and....I'll put it aside, until I can work on it again. Thanks for the help, though.” He still seemed disgruntled, but still patted Sam's shoulder briefly, before picking up the cardboard box from the floor, so he could put everything back inside. If he could clean it up neatly, it could be hidden under the bed and maybe put together another day this week.  
Sam took this dismissal with pleasure and quickly got up from the floor. “No problem. Good luck with that and if you try again, don't ask me”, he joked, smirking at Bucky, before heading to the door and disappearing. Another sigh fell from Bucky's lips and he looked at the mess on the floor, before slowly starting to pick some of the pieces up. He didn't get far, however, because moments later, the door opened and Wanda returned home, the brilliant smile on her features quickly turning into an expression of confusion. “Hey, I'm back! And you're....crafting”, she stated, brows furrowing . Bucky turned around quickly and smiled crookedly at her, shrugging with one shoulder. “Surprise! Or not. This didn't work out the way I had planned it.”  
Wanda put her bag and jacket down, before walking closer, eyes scanning the different pieces of white wood on the floor. “What exactly is this supposed to be?”  
“The crib you were looking at online. I wanted to surprise you and set it up while you're gone, but turns out, I'm not talented in that field of work.” Wanda's eyes widened and she looked from him to the collection of parts on the floor, before she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him gently, chuckling against his lips. “You have other talents. But the thought counts as well. THANK YOU! I really loved the crib, but wasn't sure if it's too early to buy it.” She smiled so happily at him, that Bucky almost forgot that the actual surprise hadn't happened and he hadn't just presented a crib to her, but a pile of wood.  
Letting go of him, Wanda walked over to the construction side and picked up the instructions, scanning them briefly, before starting to search the floor for the utensils listed on the plan. A minute later, she was sitting down and started to take apart what the men had put together, because they hadn't been very accurate. Bucky reluctantly joined her, slightly disappointed in himself that he was seemingly unable to do this on his own, while Wanda was apparently very sufficient at building it herself. It took her a couple of minutes to find the screws they had previously lost and order the pieces according to the instructions, but then she was good to go and had a plan of how everything had to be put together. Bucky couldn't help but smile under his breath as he assisted her, definitely not mad about the fact that his fiance had some hidden talents he hadn't expected.   
“Buck, you have to be more careful. Use your other hand”, she demanded, pulling him from his thoughts and alerting him to the fact that he was in the process of bending the screwdriver with his metal hand, because he kept twisting, after the screw had been put in placed already. Luckily, the wood hadn't broken. Obediently, he used his other hand for the rest of the work and only half an hour later, the only thing they were missing, was the slatted frame and mattress, which were easily put inside the little bed. Contently, Wanda mustered the fruit of her labor and let Bucky bring it to their bedroom, where he had to rearrange it a couple of times, until she was content with its position in the room. This was officially the first thing they had bought for their baby and it made Wanda incredibly happy. As her little bump grew and the whole thing became more real, she had a hard time stopping herself from going on a shopping spree just yet. They had passed the first trimester and the initial set of testing, but the past had taught her that everything could come to a bitter end, so it was hard to be carefree and just happy about the pregnancy. Happiness had always come at a price for her, so she wanted to be cautious. This lovely surprise from Bucky was very dear to her heart, though, and once they had finished everything and stood in their bedroom - both looking at the little bed and thinking about the fact that in a couple of months, they'd hopefully be able to watch their baby sleep in it – she wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head against his chest. The last couple of weeks hadn't been easy on either one of them and she was grateful to be standing here today, knowing they were headed in the right direction.   
“Well, one piece of furniture down, a couple of more stuff to buy”, Bucky finally mumbled and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, hand running up and down her back. In all honesty, he had little experience in what was needed and had to trust Wanda, who knew more of modern era gadgets than her. He had no doubt that Laura Barton and Pepper had given her advice on what was essential and important, so they could make the necessary purchases. Letting himself fall down on the edge of the bed, he took hold of Wanda's hands and pulled her closer, looking up at her with a smile. “I have no idea what we'll need, but I'll carry all of the bags and if there's more furniture to assemble, I'll follow your instructions. You're definitely better at this”, he laughed softly and tugged on her hand so she moved even closer. Leaning forward, he gently pulled her shirt up and pressed a soft, loving kiss against the warm skin of her rounded abdomen, while Wanda sighed contently and ran a hand through his hair. She had missed this kind of affection in the last couple of weeks, when he had only touched her belly once he believed her to be asleep. Most days, she had hidden the growing bump away under oversized shirts, unsure of what he would think if he saw it. The baby had turned from a blessing, into something she actively tried to hide from him for a while and it made her very emotional in that moment, knowing he had found his peace with the situation and was able to finally express his love for their unborn child in gestures of affection. His healthy hand rested on her side, thumb grazing over the skin, while he lay his head against her middle, eyes falling shut.  
“I love you”, Wanda said softly and wiped at a stray tear that ran down her cheek. She loved him with all his heart so that his pain was always her own as well. When he was hurting, there was no chance for her to feel anything other than mirrored feelings similar to his, because there couldn't be happiness, when her other half was struggling. But she knew that this was part of who they were and who they had been. Decades of abuse, pain and trauma couldn't be undone by a year of having a loving relationship and a prospect of a better life. She had no doubt in her mind that it would eventually help him heal, but it would take more time than he wanted to admit now. It bothered him to feel the way he did, Wanda knew that, but she was infinitely patient with him and had no intention in rushing him in any way. Healing was never linear and it was to be expected that big life changes also threw him off balance for a while. Her own anxiety had been through the roof as well lately, so it was no surprising that he had experienced a bit of a hard time as well.  
But they were here now and that was all that mattered.  
“When are we going to find out the gender?”  
Bucky leaned back again to fix his gaze on hers, hand resting in the middle of her stomach now. “We can, whenever we want to. I think Dr. McKenzie has already seen it in the DNA tests she has run, but only mentioned that if we wanted to know, we could always ask her. I went alone last time, so I wasn't sure what your opinion was on the matter.” She hadn't dared to ask either.  
“Well, what would you like? A surprise, or knowing? I come from a time where a surprise was all you got in that case, so it intrigues me to be prepared. Makes a lot of things easier. But I wouldn't mind waiting either.”  
“I haven't really decided yet. On the one hand I'd really like to know, just because you can pick a name then and imagine your baby in a clearer way, on the other hand I also like the idea of being surprised at birth. Makes it a bit more special in a way.”  
Bucky nodded and smiled. “We don't have to decide just yet, huh? We still have a couple of months ahead of us to make up our minds. But mark my words – you'll get too curious to not know. You'll want to buy all the cute baby stuff with a gender in mind.” Wanda laughed softly and shrugged, because he wasn't entirely wrong. “Not gonna lie, I'd love that. But maybe I'll be able to wait a couple more months to go all out. There is a lot of very sweet neutral stuff to buy anyway. Lila insists on a girl, though, because she says boys are unbearable and she already knows too many of them.”  
Now it was Bucky's turn to laugh, as he pulled down her shirt again, because he didn't want her to get cold. “We'll keep that in mind, then. Can't disappoint the kid, can we? Her brothers are two little rascals. I can't say I would mind having a girl one single bit. She would be a mini version of her mama.”   
“Or you, which would make her a terrible tomboy. We'd constantly have to pick her out of trees and fences, I'm sure”, Wanda joked, before leaning in and stealing a kiss. “I feel like ordering pizza, what do you think?”  
“Sounds like the best idea I've heard all day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, friends <3 it is another lovely Sunday, so as promised, here's a new chapter. How are you all doing? I hope that everyone is still healthy and getting through these hard times. Thank you for all the lovely kudos I got recently, I really appreciate it! Lemme know how you like the new chapter and take care <3


	21. Powers

“And you're sure you'll be okay?”  
Bucky's gaze lingered imploringly on Wanda, brows furrowed into a frown. She rolled her eyes and boxed his arm as she walked by, shaking her head. “I am not disabled, Buck. You'll be gone for a week at most. It's not like you haven't been on missions while I've been pregnant, so calm down. I'll be FINE. I can't wait to have the whole bed to myself and sleep in the middle”, she joked and flopped down on their couch, looking up at him with a grin. He worried way too much about this.   
“I have been gone for 1-2 days at a time, not a whole week. No idea why Hydra is suddenly so active on the other side of the world. I have better things to do than to chase after them”, he growled, grabbing a few guns from the kitchen table, to stuff them into his duffle bag. For some reason, he had a very bad feeling leaving his pregnant girl alone at home for longer stretches of time, although he technically knew that Wanda was doing amazingly well and the baby wasn't due for another 4 months. So it shouldn't have worried him as much as it did now, knowing that she wasn't even alone. The doctor was in the facility and he would come back immediately, if she needed him. Maybe it was the fact that he was so weary of everything related to Hydra by now, that their growing activity had become a source of constant anger for him, solely because they would always have to go investigate. It was necessary, but Bucky felt like a babysitter – granted, one that killed its wards.

“Fine. But if you need anything – anything at all – you'll call me, okay? No false pride, or heroism. You two are my absolute priority, I don't give a shit about Hydra.” Bucky knelt down in front of her, taking Wanda's hand in his own. She smiled gently and leaned forward to press a lingering kiss against his forehead. “I promise. But everything will be just fine. And I'm not alone, remember? Alpine is here.” She chuckled and nodded towards the white cat on the other end of the couch. Bucky grinned and sighed, defeated.   
“Message me, okay? I wanna get a good morning and good night message at least, so I know you're okay. Even if I can't reply right away. I'll see them.”  
“Okay, you'll get that. And now to you: be safe. Don't do stupid things, keep in mind that you have two people to come home to and please, make sure that Sam comes back in one piece as well. I think he sometimes forgets he's just...human. But most importantly, you come back home to me in one piece, understood?”  
“Yes, ma'am”, Bucky said and saluted her with a chuckle, before leaning closer for a kiss. Her stole two, then bent down more to press one against the swell of her stomach. “Daddy will be back in about a week, don't give mama too many troubles, okay? Sleep at night and don't kick her all the time”, he whispered gently, resting his head against the soft skin for a moment, hoping to feel a little nudge that would tell him he had been heard. Nothing happened, so he sat up straight again with mock anger etched upon his features.  
“Next time I'll expect an answer, spawn. You can't already start disobeying your old man.” That was just a joke, because he hadn't been able to feel the baby on the outside so far. Wanda could feel it all day long, but it had just been too gentle in the past weeks, no matter how intently he sat with his hand on her bump at night. Hopefully that meant the baby had inherited more of Wanda's quiet and soft nature, than of his.   
“I'll have a good heart to heart with the sprinkle while you're gone. More discipline will follow when you're back, promised”, Wanda answered sternly, before laughing out loud. They had decided to keep the gender a surprise, so the baby had various nicknames, one of which was 'sprinkles'. Mostly because Wanda constantly craved donuts with sprinkles. She was just as impatient by now for Bucky to feel the baby, than he was, but it sadly wasn't very wild so far. Dr. McKenzie had ensured them that there was no need to worry, because the range, of when kicks could be felt on the outside, was between 20 and 30 weeks usually, so they were exactly in the middle of that right now. Maybe by the time Bucky came back, he could get answers from the inside.  
“Alright, get going, or Sam will leave without you. I can hear the quinjet outside. Maybe Happy has brought Peter along as well, that would keep you....busy.”  
Bucky looked over wide eyed and quickly got up. “God no, not another kid to babysit. I'm busy enough with Sam as it is”, he snorted, grabbing his bag and cracking another smile at Wanda. “Don't have too much fun without me. And message.”  
“I will”, she laughed and threw a slipper at him, so that he would finally leave. He huffed and headed out the door with another wave.  
When it fell shut behind him, Wanda sighed softly. She would miss him, but a whole week of time to prepare for the baby sounded nice as well. Laura had promised to stop by with Lila, so that they could go baby shopping together. Although Wanda wasn't entirely clueless, she figured that a mother of three knew best what was necessary and what wasn't. Given this was her first baby, Wanda was tempted to just buy everything that seemed reasonable, but guessed that not all of it would ultimately prove useful.

Reaching out to scratch Alpine behind his ear, she decided that it was time for a nap. Early morning were no longer her thing, because sleeping at night had become a bit harder now. The perfect sleeping position didn't exist anymore and most often, the baby was very active. Even now, she could feel a soft rumble in her stomach and squinted down at it. “Traitor”, she mumbled, because OF COURSE that happened now and not earlier when Bucky had been there, desperately hoping for a sign. She knew he was growing a little frustrated, because his experience as the dad was already limited, because he could only watch her growing abdomen, but didn't have the close connection to the baby she had. Without kicks, he was just an outsider in a way and she knew it bothered him, because he was trying to make up for the early weeks, when he had been overwhelmed and chose not to be a part of this.

Stretching out on the couch, she allowed Alpine to curl up on top of her stomach, which added to the weight she felt, but that was alright, because she got cat purrs and snuggles in return. Her eyes fluttered shut and she was about to doze off, when her phone buzzed on the table next to her. Opening one lid to glance over at it, she expected it to be a message from Bucky, but instead saw Dr. McKenzie's name on the screen. Frowning, she reached out and grabbed it, to read what was going on.

>   
_Good morning, could you probably come downstairs withing this hour? I had an accident with your latest blood sample and would need a new one to run the genetic tests we discussed._

Wanda groaned and caused Alpine to jump down, moving back into their bedroom to get a nap there without disturbance. Her sleep time seemed to be over then. Heaving herself up from the couch, Wanda decided to quickly go take a shower, before heading down to the lab. Her next appointment shouldn't have been until the next month, so this was a little inconvenient. She had got better with the whole medical support she received and was grateful that so far, everything seemed to be just fine with the baby, but still – it filled her with anxiety whenever she had to go down there, especially alone. But it was necessary and the new tests would determine whether or not the baby potentially had powers of its own, so that was a vital thing for them to know.

Her shower was quick, but at least woke her up enough to feel a little more refreshed than before. She was starving, but knew that it would be best to go with an empty stomach, so she only glanced at the pancakes on the counter as she walked through the kitchen to grab her keys, then headed out the door, much to Alpine's dismay, who was loudly protesting his empty bowl. “Yes, yes, I'll be back in ten minutes and you'll get breakfast with me”, she promised with a laugh and tied her hair into a bun as she walked to the elevator. This wasn't going to take long and maybe she could convince Laura to come over today, now that she was up and awake anyway. That would definitely be a nice way to ring in the week. Pressing the button, it took her downstairs in mere seconds, where the smell of disinfectants greeted her like an old friend. Sighing, Wanda rubbed her arm absentmindedly, knowing she'd be poked and prodded in a few moments from now. Dr. McKenzie greeted her with her usual warm smile and an apologetic look on her features.  
“I am SO sorry! I was trying to work with the sample this morning and dropped it. Never let me do anything important, before my second cup of coffee. Thank you for coming in so quickly, I wanted to get this out of the way today, because I have another job to work on and your samples with take time to develop. I know it's only been two days since you've last seen me, but I hope you missed me a bit”, she joked and led Wanda to the back, where they usually met.   
“I'd love to say I did, but I was actually looking forward to NOT seeing you for a couple of weeks”, Wanda replied with a laugh of her own, dropping onto a chair when they arrived in the room. “Fair enough, I can't blame you. Well, you know the drill. Sleeves up please, hand into a fist”, she ordered with a mock military attitude, which Wanda obeyed to with a chuckle. “Okay, okay”, she mumbled and pulled her sleeve up, balling her fingers into a tight fist, so the blood would flow better. Dr. McKenzie came over with a syringe and sat down on the chair opposite of Wanda. She was a little surprised that the needle slipped into her vein without Dr. McKenzie using a tourniquet, but quickly looked away, because the sight of blood has recently started making her dizzy and a bit nauseous.   
“All done”, the doctor announced a brief moment later and Wanda could a burning sensation in the crook of her arm, spreading through her vein. That was new. Looking down, she saw that the syringe wasn't filled with blood, like it should have been and she glanced up at McKenzie with a frown, who just smiled. Was Wanda mistaken, or was there a hint of cruelty in it suddenly?  
“Well, I would like to congratulate you, Ms. Maximoff. I wasn't entirely honest with you earlier. The samples have long been analyzed and your baby is definitely showing potential, which makes YOU very valuable for us. Now that your boyfriend and shadow are out of the country – thanks to us – we'll have access to you. I must admit that I was quite suspicious about this, knowing you can read minds, but it seems that you're actually a very honest and considerate person, who doesn't do it without permission! Admirable, albeit stupid. You could have known.”  
Wanda stared up at the doctor, wide eyed, her words already not making enough sense to alarm her anymore, as her mind started to become fuzzy very fast. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she tried to get up from the chair, knowing instinctively that fleeing was in order, but her legs didn't cooperate. Her body had entirely stopped working and darkness was quickly enveloping her mind. She fought it as best as she could, but it came too quickly, leaving her slumped down in the chair, unconscious.  
Dr. McKenzie smiled and dialed a number on her phone for the pick up. This had gone much better than anyone could hope. Taking a shock collar from the first drawer of her desk, she put it around Wanda's throat, as well as shackles, just in case. Hydra would be pleased with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mother's Day everyone <3 have a new chapter of our favorite OTP and their growing baby. Not yet a proper mother's day for them, but this chapter is definitely the beginning of an adventure they didn't expect :P thank you for all the kudos on the last one, let me know what you think && if you'd like a chapter on Weds to ease the excitement a little


	22. Hail Hydra

The lights above her head flickered in and out of focus, as she pried her eyes open with all the strength she could muster. Her body ached; numb limbs refused to follow her orders and remained glued to whatever surface she lay on, while green hues fixed on the neon lights above her head. They were bright and stung in her eyes, but she hoped they would help her wake up. It took Wanda a long moment to remember what had happened, but when she did, a surge of adrenaline rushed through her system, leaving her with even more force to fight against the drowsiness. Her arms moved slightly and she could feel restraints around her wrists, holding her in place, as well as something cold, heavy resting against her throat. A shock collar. Her nostrils flared at the thought, memories of her time as a prisoner on the government raft flooding into her mind, when they had used a collar like this to control her as well. A low growl of frustration erupted from her throat, when she realized that her feet were tied down as well. Her powers would have made it easy to break them, but she couldn't risk setting off the collar. She had done so several times while being imprisoned, mostly on accident, and the voltage of that torture instrument had been high enough to knock her out. That was something she couldn't risk for the sake of her baby, so all she could do was turn her head and inspect her surrounding.

The walls were white and sterile, so was the floor. There was absolutely nothing in the room, except for the bed she lay in, not even a chair or a sink. That meant, she wasn't going to be allowed to move around freely in her cell and it raised even more red flags for her. Whoever had done this, didn't want her, but the baby. She was still months away from carrying the little one to full term, so they might intend to keep her here until then, just to get their hands on the child. It was her worst nightmare coming through and her heart ached for Bucky immediately, who had spent many sleepless nights musing about the possibility that their child would attract all sorts of bad people, who would want to get their hands on the genetic fusion of two strong Avengers. She had worried about it too, but had hoped that this was a scenario for the future, when the child was actually BORN and potentially showed powers of its own. Not like this.  
A door at the far end of the room was pulled open and Wanda's head jerked sideways to see who it was. Blind hatred rose in the pit of her stomach at the sight of Dr. McKenzie, who approached her with a fake smile on her lips. How could she have been so mistaken about someone? So blindly trusting, especially given the fact that she naturally disliked medical personnel? This was a mistake she would never be able to forgive herself, because she had the power to read minds if need be and hadn't used it to make sure that the woman was friendly. She had blindly trusted Fury's judgment and not taken personal precautions. This was on her.  
“Oh, no no no, don't let those pretty eyes glow scarlet, Miss Maximoff. We don't want the baby to get hurt, right? If you trigger the collar, it might cause preterm labor and that would be undesirable. Theoretically, we'd be able to keep that little gem of yours alive, but we'd much prefer it to be carried out, just in case. Makes things a lot easier.” She stopped in front of the bed and hovered a tablet over Wanda's mid section, before putting it back into the pocket of her white medical coat. “You have been incredibly cooperative with us, without knowing it, and it is such a pleasure to know that our work was not in vain. Your baby's genetic analysis came back very interestingly – there is definitely a lot of potential there, that we can't wait to explore. Hydra has waited for this chance for decades and you presented us with it so easily. The child of two of our most prices experiments. What a blessing! A natural union like this was obviously a lot less time consuming and difficult for us, than having to produce a child artificially. So we thank you for your great work. As for you personally, we have no use for you anymore. As much as I hate to admit it, but you have outgrown our options a while ago. We cannot contain you and your powers, except when it will threaten the life of your child. And believe me, we will sacrifice the child if need be. As much as we want it, the destructive qualities of your powers are not worth it in case of an emergency. So if you'd like to kill your child in order to get out of here, be our guest. If not, I'd advice you not to even try and test out the collar. Over 130 volts can be quite uncomfortable.”

Her sickening smile made it incredibly hard for Wanda to keep her powers at bay, because her internal rage was endless. She clenched her hand into tight fists, fingernails digging into the palms of them until she drew blood. If there was any chance for her to free herself along the line, she would rip McKenzie apart, limb by limb. It didn't even matter that she was working for Hydra specifically, because no matter who paid her for this, she had infiltrated and betrayed them and was now threatening her baby. Wanda was a kind and peace loving person, but that ended right there. No one threatened her loved ones and just got to walk away. But she knew she had to be smart, observe, try to find loopholes and ways to fight her way back out of here, without hurting the baby. This was a fine line to walk on, but they better didn't believe her to be obedient, just because they presented her with the possibility of electrocution.   
She didn't say anything in reply to McKenzie, because she knew it would only work her up even more. Her lips pressed into a tight line and she turned her head away, staring blankly up at the ceiling again. For the longest time, Wanda had been afraid of Hydra. The things they had done to her as a young girl, and to all their other test subjects, would haunt her forever and her biggest fear had always been to be caught by them again and suffer through the same treatment. Now that they had her locked up in a cell again, she realized that the fear itself had been worse than the actual imprisonment. She had grown through the years and understood now that there was worse in life than physical pain and abuse. And it made her incredibly angry that they had targeted her weakest spot, one that she'd give her life for without a second of hesitation. That baby was her miracle, the fruit of a love she had never believed she would find and there was nothing she wouldn't do for it. Maybe the fear for the peanut made her immune to the fear she would have normally felt, being locked up and completely restraint. Either way, she silently prayed that Bucky would find her somehow, or that she would discover a way out, before they could take the baby from her. But in the meantime, she couldn't do anything other than keep her head down and see what would happen, in the hope that it would present her with a chance of escape along the line.

***

“Are you even listening?”  
Bucky looked up from his phone, brows furrowed in irritation, because Sam just boxed his shoulder. “What?!” He glared over, before he realized that he had indeed not listened to the other, rambling on about the mission and the deserted Hydra compound they had found in the middle of German nowhere. The activity that the newly founded SHIELD had found there, was definitely a story of the past, because the building had been completely empty, with no sign of anyone having even been there lately. Very irritating.  
“Sorry, no, I haven't”, he admitted with a sigh, running a hand over his face to calm his nerves and wipe away his exhaustion.  
“What's the matter? You've been glued to your phone for two days now. Is everything okay with Wanda?” Sam didn't seem to be angry about his lack of attention, but rather understood immediately why his mood had been worse than usual.  
“She hasn't texted”, he mumbled, turning his phone on and off, in the hope that text messages would come through then.  
“Maybe she's been busy? Or wants you to stay focused during the mission”, Sam suggested, but he could feel that Bucky didn't share his positive sentiment.  
“I told her to text every day, just so I know that she and the baby are okay. She promised and still hasn't messaged at all. I'm worried that something is...wrong. Don't you think it's strange? The abandoned base, in a country that is so far away from where we live and takes us hours to go to, now Wanda's silence? I'm just really worried someone knew she'd be alone.” Bucky wasn't one to voice his worries easily and he was probably being overprotective, but still – he couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. Sam fell silent, musing on his words and trying to decide on his own opinion in the matter.  
“Have you tried calling her? Or...that doctor that lives with us now? She could go check on her, right? It is a bit odd, but I'm not sure if you've noticed, but out of the three of us, Wanda is the most powerful. I highly doubt she is easy to be hurt by anyone, after she almost singlehandedly killed Thanos on the battlefield.” Sam surely wasn't wrong when it came to Wanda's ability of defending herself, Bucky knew that. She was a very powerful Avenger and although he agreed on that, he couldn't quite forget the fact that she was with child and therefore limited in how far she could go to keep herself safe. He knew that if there was a shadow of a doubt that she could endanger the baby, she would not act. And other people would know that as well. But maybe he was being silly. No one knew that they were expecting and the whole idea of the baby having a target on its back, was probably just his paranoia.   
“Yeah, you're ri -”. He broke off when his phone started ringing and he saw Clint's number on the display. Confused, he pressed the button to pick up and held it to his ear.  
“Clint?”  
_“Hi Bucky, it's me, yeah. I am calling, because I'm a bit worried about Wanda. Has she mentioned to you that she'd leave? Because she was supposed to meet Laura yesterday and never showed up, neither picked up her phone, so I drove by today to make sure she was okay and she wasn't there. Your cat was locked in the apartment and very persistently meowing, as if something was wrong, but there was no trace of Wanda. Has she gone out?”_  
There was a silence between them, in which Bucky's heart seemed to stop and a flush of icy cold ran through his system. His mouth went dry and he could feel his fist tighten around the phone.   
“No. She was supposed to be home. I haven't been able to reach her either”, he said, sounding hollow and distant, as his mind was racing. Next to him, Sam's eyes widened, because he vaguely understood that they were talking about Wanda.  
“We're coming back. Stay there if you can and see if you can find any trace of a struggle. Go ask Dr. McKenzie if she has seen Wanda, she's usually downstairs in the labs. Call me back as soon as you've checked”, Bucky ordered, not wasting any time on friendliness. He didn't have to tell Sam to start the quinjet, because it was already starting to lift off. Cursing in Russian, he hung up and was tempted to throw his phone through the windshield in despair and frustration, but reminded himself that he still needed it. This was his worst nightmare. Something had happened to Wanda and he hadn't been there.   
“I'm sorry, man. I'm sure there'll be a harmless explanation for it all and nothing has happened to her”, Sam tried, but Bucky just glared over at him, before leaving his seat to pace through the back of the jet. He didn't know what to do with all the fear and anxiety building in his chest, but couldn't just punch something, risking to damage the jet and prolonging their journey even more. The idea of being stuck in here for HOURS now, not able to do anything productive, was already driving him insane. He was grateful that Sam didn't even try to communicate with him, because he most likely would have snapped. Wanda and the baby meant everything to him and it had been hard enough to leave her at all. Knowing now that this might have given someone the chance to hurt her, was something he would never be able to forgive himself. Whatever had happened, he had to find out about it fast, because his panic was growing with every passing minute.   
He could not lose them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday, everyone! Here's a new chapter for you, hope you like it <3 thanks for the feedback on last week's chapter


	23. The ring

**TWO MONTHS PRIOR**

Wanda and Bucky hadn't even stepped out of the elevator yet, when they were greeted by a very excited Shuri, who had come to the compound to present some new tech to them, obviously delighted to show off her inventions. Although they had only met briefly before, Wanda liked the young princess very much. Her energy and enthusiasm were infectious and her bright, positive disposition something to strive for. She herself was not as easily thrilled about technology, but couldn't deny that Shuri was just as ingenious as Tony had been, with a knack for practicality in her creations, as well as fairly easy usage.   
“I have so many new things for you, you're gonna LOVE them”, she exclaimed as a greeting and walked ahead into their conference room, where boxes were piled on the table. Sam was already there, inspecting the contents, earning himself a slap on the hand by Shuri, who didn't want him to touch anything, before he knew how to use it properly. “This will burn down the hole area, if you accidentally trigger the wrong feature”, she said cheerfully, closing the box quickly, before any mishaps could arise.  
Sitting down in their chairs, the small team was presented with modifications for Sam's suit and wings, which excited him, but whatever Shuri described, meant very little to Wanda, who wasn't really a tech freak. A couple of new weapons were added to their collection, which were also mainly appreciated by the men, since Wanda never really used any. She listened nonetheless, because fights could call for an emergency in which she would need to know how to do the right thing. Natasha had paid a lot of attention to teaching Wanda proper fighting techniques, making sure she wouldn't just always rely on her powers, so she was familiar with weapons of all sorts. Communication devices were also added to the list of new toys, as well as a few explosives, that Bucky immediately placed far away from Sam to tease him.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Shuri started searching in a bag, pulling out three small boxes, which she handed over to them. “I know the Accords have been reversed and you operate autonomously again, SHIELD has been destroyed and is only slowly rebuilding, so I thought it would be good if someone had an eye on you, in case of emergencies”, she explained, waiting for them to open the boxes. In Wanda's lay a ring that went perfectly with her engagement ring, same style and material as it seemed. Bucky found a set of dogtags in the style they had used during the second world war, while Sam was given a modern looking watch. “I tried to make them as invisible as possible, by adjusting the design to something you would just wear in your daily life, without drawing suspicion to them. These are trackers, as well as explosives if you need them. Please take them off, before you trigger that function, though. They activate with your finger print and yours alone. So other people can touch them and nothing will happen. Even when you activate them, they will remain unsuspicious to the naked eye – no glowing lights or anything the like. To activate them, keep your finger – any finger – pressed on them for five seconds, until you feel a vibration. That means the device is online. To start the emergency tracking just tap twice and it will vibrate again, to indicate it is sending your data. I will receive your position, in case you'll need reinforcements and the signal will also be sent to the compound, as well as any devices you'll want to get it on. I'll install the app for you. To trigger the explosion, you just have to ' explode ' and a ten second count down will start. Throw the thing and get the hell out. They look small, but they can go BOOM.” She grinned broadly, very obviously pleased with herself.   
“Thank you, Shuri. You never fail to amaze with your creations. We're very grateful for your help”, Wanda said with a warm smile, which evoked the same from Wakanda's princess. Tony's death had definitely left a hole that no one could fill in the team, but Shuri provided them with whatever they might need for their missions, without so much as a request for recompensation. She always insisted that the work was payment enough, because she thoroughly enjoyed it, which was apparent in the way she presented her newest inventions.   
“Oh, it was my pleasure! I always have some fun new ideas I'll work on in the next couple of weeks and I can't wait to get them done”, she said, eyes shining brightly at the prospect. While Wanda slid on the ring, Shuri was invited for dinner and they commenced to spend the evening together, chatting and sitting together, almost like in old times. It were moments like these, in which it was the most notable how many of them were missing. Bucky had never been part of the team when they had still all lived at the compound and come together almost every evening, but Wanda knew that Sam felt it, too.

* * *

Her head was swimming when she opened her eyes, limbs numb and throbbing at the same time, from the lack of use. She was still tied down to the bed, restraints digging into the delicate skin around her wrists. There was no way of telling how long she had been here already. Wanda suspected that they were sedating her with something, because she kept drifting in and out of sleep and felt less than coherent when awake. No matter how hard she tried to grasp thoughts for longer than a minute, it felt impossible. Ultimately, everything drifted back into darkness, as slumber took over once more, with her being unable to fight it. As far as she knew, no one came into the room, but that could also have been an illusion, as she was mostly asleep. Stirring, she tried to move a little, but found herself entirely incapable of doing so, other than shifting a little from side to side. She wanted to sit up, move her arms and legs to feel less stiff, but that was apparently not desired. A gentle movement on the inside of her belly almost brought her to tears and she bit down hard on her lip to prevent them from spilling down her cheeks.   
There had to be SOMETHING she could do to, instead of just waiting, hoping and praying that no one would harm her baby. Sucking in a breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to clear her mind of the fog, so she could think straight, digging her fingernails into the palms of her hand in the hope that the pain would at least momentarily sharpen her senses. _'Don't fall asleep',_ she told herself with urgency, when something caught her attention. The stone of her engagement ring had turned around and was pressing against her palm as well, reminding her of its existence. The ring! Why hadn't she thought of it right away? Probably, because she could barely even form a concrete thought in her state most of the time.  
Pressing her thumb against the ring, she prayed it would work. A soft vibration followed promptly and Wanda almost sighed in relief. The emergency signal would hopefully alert Shuri and send her location, so that she could be rescued.

* * *

When the quinjet touched down on the landing space in front of the compound, Clint was already waiting for them in full gear. He had searched the whole premises from top to bottom, without finding a single trace of Wanda, or Dr. McKenzie. That alone rang several alarm bells for Bucky and he couldn't believe they had been so trusting towards her. True, she could have been a victim of whoever took Wanda as well, but in his mind, that made less sense than her being the perpetrator. He was out of the jet, before the ramp had even touched the ground yet, hurrying up to Clint. They had communicated during their 7 hour flight, so he basically knew everything the other had found, but he needed to jump right into action. Plans had to be made, they had to stock up on weapons and then go on a hunt, that was already triggering a side of Bucky, he hadn't experienced since his time as the Winter Soldier. He was analytical, his mind sharp, brain working in high speed. His emotions couldn't get in the way of rationality, but for the first time in ages, that seemed like an impossible task, when his heart ached and was filled with terror at the prospect of what could have happened to Wanda and their baby.  
“There's no sign of a fight anywhere, but I did find a smashed vial of blood under a table and this”, Clint greeted him, wasting no time on small talk. He held out a single piece of paper, which at first glance, didn't make sense to Bucky. His knowledge about medical details was very limited, but he immediately recognized the form of the document as a certain file type Hydra used. “Hydra”, he growled, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach, while Clint looked slightly confused. “What? I just wanted you to look at the genetic profile of the baby. The report says that they have discovered a disposition for powers in the sample they analyzed. I don't think they're after Wanda...” Bucky looked up at Clint and all color was drained from his face. He had considered the option, naturally, but hearing it spoken out loud made it much more real. The paper almost crumbled in his fist when he clenched his fingers, fighting the urge to punch something, since Clint was the closest available victim. As soon as Sam had joined them, the two had to persuade Bucky to go inside and talk about a strategy, because his first impulse was to climb right back into the quinjet and leave, although he had absolutely no idea where Wanda could be.  
“We should try and hack into her computer, see if there are any emails we can trace back to a location”, Sam suggested as they went inside, earning a curt nod from Bucky, who was unable to say anything. His jaw was set, teeth grinding together, both hands still in fists at his side. He tried to remind himself that he would only be of help, if he kept his mind sharp and focused, but it was hard. Every minute they wasted by having to track Wanda down and retrace Dr. McKenzie's steps, was one that could cost Wanda's life, or that of the baby. “I'm going to head down into the lab and see what I can find. Call me, if you find anything.” Sam separated from them as they passed the elevator, leaving the other two to continue to the conference room. Bucky was about to sit down opposite of Clint, to discuss their next steps, when his phone vibrated and he got it out of his pocket, hoping for a split second that it was Wanda, calling him to say that everything was alright. Instead, Shuri's name lit up on the screen and his mood dropped instantly.  
“What”, he barked into the line when he picked up, obviously startling Shuri on the other end, because there was a moment of silence, before she perked up again.  
“I received a distress signal from Wanda's ring, pinging somewhere in the middle of North Dakota's forests. Is this a drill, or is something wrong?”  
Bucky stared blankly ahead for, trying to grasp the information. The ring! “Shuri, you're a life saver! It's not a drill, Wanda has gone missing and we wouldn't have known where to even begin. Can you send me the exact location?”  
“Sure can – just did. Do you need help?”  
“I'll get back to you, once we know what we're up against. Thank you!”  
He hung up and held his phone out for Clint to see. “We have her location. Let's go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday, my loves <3 I hope you are all healthy and happy! Here's a new chapter for you & i hope you'll like it <333


	24. Of monsters and men

A jolt of pain woke Wanda from a restless slumber, every nerve in her body screaming. She gasped, fingers clenching into fists, unable to follow the urge to claw on the shock collar around her neck. They had stopped sedating her, which was a blessing and a cure at once. Her mind was sharper and she could stay awake for longer than a few minutes, but now nightmare plagued her when she fell asleep, the situation getting to her, when she was the most vulnerable. And when she dreamed, her powers surfaced sometimes, which seemed to have happened right then, when she was ripped from her sleep. Wanda's heart hammered in her chest, senses doused by pain and panic, because her first thought went to the baby. She wanted to touch her stomach, to make sure the little one was okay, but her restraints kept her from it. Angry tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn't let them break her that easily. Hydra would never again make her cry, or beg.

A sharp inhale broke the silence of the room, when she felt the flutter of movement in her abdomen, as the baby moved. Wanda wanted to be relieved, but it terrified her to think that maybe it had been hurt by the electricity and was now suffering, with her being unable to do anything about it. Then again – they had abducted her for the sole purpose of taking her baby, so would they really risk losing it because of the shock collar? She highly doubted it, but still wasn't willing to test out the theory.

The door opened and Dr. McKenzie approached the bed. Wanda's jaw set and she stared at the other with obvious hatred in her eyes, struggling to keep her powers at bay. When emotions threatened to overwhelm her, it was always to be in control, although she had gotten better over the years. Not, because her control over her powers had increased, but rather over her emotions. Fear had been her downfall as a teenager, but that lay in the past. Now anger was her newest issue, especially when it came to her protectiveness over her baby, so facing Dr. McKenzie was a lot harder without the effects of the sedatives dulling her mind. Rage was bubbling in the pit of her stomach and Wanda tried to focus on something else, just to take the danger out of the situation. The Hydra doctor didn't speak, as she walked around the bed and started unbuckling Wanda's restraints, much to her surprise. It would have been a welcome change, hadn't it raised suspicion in her, which was confirmed, when armed guards entered the room after McKenzie, carrying what seemed to be iron shackles. “We're going on a little excursion today, Miss Maximoff. Don't get any funny ideas, though. I have the remote control to your collar right here”, McKenzie snarled, holding up a small device in one hand, while she gestured for the guards to approach. They seemed to be a bit reluctant, which evoked an almost cruel smile from Wanda. It seemed like they knew what she was capable of under normal circumstances and feared what powers she could muster up, when she was trying to protect someone she loved. A cocked brow from McKenzie was enough to speed up their movements, however, as one of them reached out and grabbed Wanda by the arm, yanking her upright. Her head spun from the sudden movement, stars dancing before her eyes. She had been laying down for so long, that the dizziness took its time to subside, almost sending her falling onto the floor, as her knees buckled under her weight and the soldier had loosened his iron grip on her for a second. The other one caught her in time and roughly pulled her up, so that they could fasten the shackles around her wrists. They still used the same archaic methods they had tried on her in Sokovia, it seemed, because she was very familiar with the technology of those things. Hydra definitely lacked the brilliant minds of people like Stark and Shuri, but that was to her advantage. Without the collar, she could have turned those handcuffs to dust. Unfortunately, she had to stay level headed, or the outcome would be worse for her than obedience. Bucky would come, she was sure. And if he didn't, she only had to wait until the baby was born and then turn this place to ashes. They would not avoid her wreath, that much for sure. Hydra had terrorized her and Bucky enough in their lives and would most definitely never lay hands on their child.

Walking on unsteady feet, she was mostly dragged by the two guards, who followed McKenzie down white corridors, illuminated by neon lights, that flickered every now and then. Wanda could tell that they were underground by the tick, concrete walls surrounding them. Every sound was muffled and absorbed by the building, suggesting that this was some sort of a bunker. High security most likely, but nothing that could withstand her, once she was freed. She only had to find a way to break out, or wait until their guard was down.

They roughly shoved her into a room, where a medical chair was the only furniture she could see, aside from a metal table on wheels, that carried a vast array of instruments Wanda didn't want to think about. One of the guards pushed her forward with so much force, that she was knocked into the table and fell over it, metal cluttering to the floor with a lot of noise, while Wanda's face slammed into the armrest of the chair. Her mind was foggy for a moment, black blurring the edges of her vision, as she heard Dr. McKenzie snap at the men. “What the hell is wrong with you dimwits?! If she gets hurt, the child could get hurt! Get her up, or I'll have you on animal duty for the rest of the week and you can spend your time cleaning rat cages. Idiots!”

Strong hands grabbed Wanda once more and pulled her to her feet again, before placing her on the chair a little more gentle than expected. She felt blood trickle down her chin from a seemingly split lip and her cheek burned, from where it had struck the chair, but the pain was dull in comparison to her anger.  
'_Calm down. You can't control their anger, but you can control your own_', she reminded herself and took a deep breath, while the guard strapped her down into the chair. “Get out”, McKenzie growled at them, when they were done, leaving Wanda alone with the mad scientist. “You must excuse my boys. They're a little rough around the edges sometimes. But as I can see, you are mostly still in one piece. Your face is luckily of no interest to us”, she stated sweetly, before gathering the instruments from the floor and putting them neatly back in their place, all whilst Wanda watched her quietly. She assessed the medical instruments in the way Natasha had taught her, identifying potential threats and what she could use as weapons. Unfortunately, the straps around her wrists were very tight and there was no way to wriggle out of them. So were her feet, but there would come a time when she wasn't restrained completely and they'd rely on the collar to keep her at bay. In the meantime, she would study them and her surrounding.

McKenzie finished putting everything back in order, lifting a big syringe with a very long needed, that looked like a comically enlarged version of the actual thing doctors used. Sadly, McKenzie seemed to be keen on using it on her. “We're going to have fun today! I mean, mostly ME, but let's not be so particular. This needle is going to extract amniotic fluid, so I can take a closer look on the development of that baby. We want to keep tabs on how her powers are developing, after all. Very interesting times, right? They say that a pregnancy is the most important time in a woman's live and I am so happy to share this with you.”  
Under normal circumstances, Wanda would have done her best to punch McKenzie in the face right then, but she just stared at the woman, heart skipping several beats, hammering against her rib cage.  
We want to keep tabs on how her powers are developing.  
_Her._  
She had spoken of the baby.  
Wanda's mind seemed sluggishly slow suddenly, as she tried to comprehend the words and the message that they conveyed, aside from the obvious. They hadn't known the baby's gender yet and this was how she found out? Not what Wanda had expected. Her mouth opened to say something, when a lamp above the door started flashing red and a siren cut through the silence that had settled between them. McKenzie's gaze drifted to the door, which flew open abruptly, when the guards returned. “A security breach on level 1, Dr. McKenzie. What are your orders?” McKenzie's gaze darted between Wanda, the red light and the guards.  
“Take her back to the cell and stand guard before it. No one in, or out”, she barked, before hurrying out of the room. The guards looked after her, before one redirected his focus to Wanda, stepping forward to open her restraints. He opened the clasp on both wrists simultaneously, while the other brought the shackles over, so they could bring Wanda back to her cell. They should not have underestimated her.

Once her hands were free, she opened her palm and one of the scalpels on the metal table flew into it. The shock collar did its job, but now that Wanda was awake on not startled by the pain, she learned that her assumptions were right – painful, but not bad enough to hurt her, or the baby. It had been more show than anything. Once the scalpel was in her hand, she moved it upwards in a swift movement, driving it into the jugular of the guard leaning over her, seconds before he even comprehended the situation. When she saw realization flash in his eyes, it was already too late for the poor fella. His blood splattered all over her, the gurgling sound he made almost nauseating, as his hand frantically clutched the wound. He was young, now that Wanda looked at him closer and she felt absolutely nothing at the knowledge. All that mattered was that he was Hydra.  
The other guard was startled by her movements, probably just like McKenzie, who also seemed to have reduced Wanda to her powers. A lot of people had done that and Wanda had to admit that it was the most obvious fighting feature she had, but Nat had always insisted on teaching her self defense as well, pointing out that there could come a time when her powers would be useless. Wanda now sent a silent whisper of gratitude to the heavens, because of her friend's insistence to teach her. When the second guard attacked, Wanda moved quickly, knee slamming into his groins, while she used the momentum to lodge the scalpel firmly into his temple. Unlike the other guard, he didn't make much of a sound. He just stared at her wide eyed, then dropped to the ground. Wanda slipped from the chair and cautiously approached the door. She could hear muffled shouts and noises that sounded a lot like shots, so she moved in that direction, knowing instinctively that it was Bucky.

All of the guards seemed to have been drawn to the commotion of the security breach, because she encountered absolutely no one, as she moved closer to where the noise came from. Behind a steel door, she heard barked orders and bullets hitting the walls, so she approached with caution, not wanting to get in the crossfire. Just when she was about to take shelter behind a corner, the door burst open and Bucky appeared in it, followed by Clint. She had never seen Bucky this cold and calculating before, as he let his gaze drift, gun in hand. His clothes were freckles with crimson and his finger loose on the trigger, but when he lay eyes on Wanda, all of that faded in the blink of an eye, all anger vanishing from his demeanor.

“Wanda!”  
He rushed over, flinging his arms around her in a crushing embrace, obviously shaken. She held him just as close, a wave of relief washing over her. Although she had managed to take out the guards, it would have been impossible to break out entirely, without triggering the collar too often. One or twice electric shocks were hopefully not that dangerous for the little one, but she didn't want to strain her luck. But he had come to save her once again, just like he always did.  
“The ring worked”, she said softly and smiled up at him, while his thumb gently grazed over her split lip, his eyes dark and full of anger.  
“What have they done to you”, he said in a low, dangerous voice, but Wanda shook her head. This was not the right time and place for this conversation. “Later. Can you get this thing off?” She pointed at the collar and Bucky huffed in response, carefully wrapping his hands around it, before ripping it apart with ease. Wanda raised a hand to rub her neck, which felt raw and slightly burned from the cursed thing, before looking past Bucky over to Clint. “You brought the cavalry I see. Good. I need to find McKenzie and teach her a lesson”, she said with resolve in her words, marching past Buck and towards the open doors. The corridor behind it was littered with bodies, the sounding alarm the only thing that broke the silence. Just when the men fell in step behind her, a group of soldiers came running around a corner, all starting to fire at once. Wanda lifted a hand and a shield formed around her and the other two, all bullets dropping to the ground without penetrating it. Her eyes began to glow scarlet, just like the alarm lamps above the doors, right before she began mowing them down. She had fought Thanos twice and those men were no match against her. Energy struck them down easily, one by one, without her even tiring a little. Hydra had bitten off a little more than they could chew with her and this was Wanda's revenge for all the pain they had caused her, Bucky, Pietro and every one else they had tormented in their labs. It was about time that one – or rather two – of their experiments fought back. While Clint and Bucky easily covered her, she made sure that their path out was freed, bodies flying against the wall and ceiling left and right. It wasn't hard to kill the soldiers, but she couldn't leave this place, before finding McKenzie.

  
Her mind reached out, through the whole compound, now freed from the restraining collar, trying to locate where the wretched doctor was hiding.  
“This way”, she called out to the others, turning towards what she remembered as the corridor where her cell had been. She could hear McKenzie's frantic thoughts there, as she desperately tried to plan her escape.  
Spoiler alert, there would be none. Wanda had never been revengeful. Even when they had joined Ultron to fight the Avengers, the main drive had been her brother. She was usually kind and forgiving, but there were lines that no one should cross, because it would turn her into a fury. Thanos had crossed one of those lines and McKenzie had as well. There would be no mercy.  
“Wanda, be careful, please”, she heard Bucky behind her, but she ignored him, as she moved towards a door, behind which she knew the doctor was hiding alone. While her soldiers had fought, she was hiding like a coward, knowing that she had provoked the wrong people. The door was locked but Wanda blew it right out the hinges, evoking a shriek from McKenzie, who dropped a box she was holding. Seemed like someone was trying to save whatever she could, before the enemy arrived. Wanda wasn't remotely interested in her work, however, so she wasted no look on the papers that had scattered across the floor.  
“Wanda, please...”, the doctor began, hands rising into the air in a defensive gesture, but Wanda didn't care about that either. Her hand rose as well, but only to let scarlet energy slowly snake up the woman's body, which lifted her into the air, arms outstretched. “There is a time for begging and this isn't it”, Wanda said softly and the dim light of the room was illuminated almost solely by her energy and the glow of her eyes. “We're going to have fun today, Dr. McKenzie”, Wanda echoed the doctor's earlier words, not without malice and a bit of cruelty reverberating in them. She glanced over her shoulder to see whether one of the others was going to stop her, but they just lingered in the doorway, watching. Good.  
“I trusted you and I was naive enough not to use my powers on you, because I have decency. You and your people tried turning me into a monster, a weapon for your cause and I have become just that, a weapon. Just not in your fight and I never will, neither will my child. Hydra will NEVER put their hands on my daughter, you understand? Never.” Wanda's voice shook slightly as she spoke, no matter how much she tried to remain cool. There was visible panic in McKenzie's eyes, but it didn't touch her. “I'd let you give them that message yourself, but you don't deserve to get away. I learned a long time ago that leaving unfinished business is never a good idea.” The energy snaked upwards almost lazily while Wanda's fingers slowly clenched into a fists. McKenzie began to scream in pain, when her body was gradually crushed, as the energy tightened around her. First just her torso, then it moved up around her neck, where in Wanda's case the collar had sat minutes ago. The doctor started choking, whimpering and spluttering out desperate pleas for her life, while it slowly left her, along with her last breaths. A moment later, her body slumped in the air, before dropping to the floor with a loud thud.

Wanda inhaled deeply, eyes trained on the mangled body before her, then turned around to face the boys. “Let's go home”, she said simply and cocked a brow at the smirk Bucky tried to keep from his features. “What?”  
“Nothing”, she said with a shrug, before lowering his head a little to be closer to her ear. “You're kinda sexy when you're dangerous, you know? Glad you're my girl and not my enemy”, she said with a wink, then started moving. “Let's find Sam and the others. They're on the first floor somewhere”, Clint suggested, scanning Wanda critically to make sure she was okay and glad to see that she didn't seem to be seriously injured.  
“You okay kid”, he asked anyway, placing a hand on her shoulder as they walked.  
“Never been better”, Wanda said intently, teeth gritted, before she almost ran into Bucky, who had stopped abruptly and turned around wide eyed, staring at her.  
“Wait - did you say **DAUGHTER**?”  
Well, that taken a while to sink in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Please excuse my absence last week, for life has changed A LOT in the past ten days and I needed some time to adjust to having a job again and other things. But I am back and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! Thank you for sticking with me <3 love you all


	25. Safety

“Would you hold still, please?”  
Bucky wore a frown on his features, while he was trying to take care of Wanda's minor injuries, insisting that he needed to examine them. They had returned from the Hydra base half an hour previously and while Clint and Sam had informed Shuri about the outcome of the mission, the other two had retreated to their quarters.   
Although everything had gone according to plan and Wanda was free, she could see the tension in Bucky as he moved, his jaw set and fingers clenched, whenever he wasn't using them. The incident had obviously gotten to her as well, but seeing how much he struggled with the knowledge that he had failed to protect her, she tried to pull herself together. The outcome could have been much worse, so she did her best to see the light, instead of the darkness. With a sigh, she let Bucky examine the burns on her neck from the shock collar and allowed him to continue with her wrists, where the shackles had cut into her flesh. All wounds were superficial and didn't actually need medical attention, but she knew it was a way of coping for him, so she allowed it.  
“We can't stay here. We need to find a safer place to live than this shit hole, that apparently can be easily infiltrated by Hydra”, Bucky finally growled, as his calloused fingers moved gentle over the cuts, administering a salve from their bathroom and putting covering them with band aids. His statement wasn't a suggestion, it was a fact. There was no arguing, but Wanda wouldn't have tried to anyway, because he was right. This whole ordeal had taught them a valuable lesson, one neither of them had wanted to see – they had become comfortable and lax, where they should have been suspicious and careful. It was a bitter truth, because it basically meant that they couldn't let their guard down with anyone, but each other. Always expecting betrayal and disaster to strike. Fury had sent the doctor to them and although Wanda didn't expect any bad intentions, it just pointed out that they couldn't trust anyone. From now on, they had to be alert all the time, in order to protect their child. This was their new normal and their home had to be further away from it all. Maybe the compound had never been the best to begin with, given that it was massive, very obviously the headquarter of the Avengers and not as well protected anymore, as it had been back in the day.

“You're right. That is something we'll have to consider – tomorrow. I just want to sleep”, she agreed after a brief moment of silence, rising from where she was sitting. Her adrenaline was keeping her awake, but she just didn't want to think about anything really. Nightmares would plague her most likely, so she didn't need any added anxiety for the moment, knowing that it was going to extremely hard to find a place for them to stay, especially on short notice.

But that was a worry for the next day.   
Or so she had hoped.  
“We can't stay here, Wanda. Not even tonight. They know where we live, we just killed off their whole base – there will be retaliations. We both know Hydra and what they are capable of and I will not let anything happen to you, or the baby, ever again. So we'll pack our things and we'll go somewhere else.”  
“And where?” Wanda crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking at him inquisitively. His words bore a certain truth she couldn't deny, but she definitely wasn't going to just blindly leave the compound, without knowing where to go and having a safer alternative.   
The anger and tension seemed to leave his body with a heavy sigh, as his shoulders slumped down and he looked utterly defeated.  
“I...don't know yet. But I'll go downstairs and talk about it with Clint and Sam in a bit. We'll figure something out.”  
“Wakanda”, Wanda simply stated, because that was the safest place to come to her mind. Although the Wakandans had gone public a while ago and their existence was no longer a secret to the world, it was still an absolute fort, protected by Shuri's genius technology and probably the best place for them to go to.  
Bucky's nod indicated that he had thought about it as well. “Yes, that was my first idea as well. I'm going to contact Shuri about it, but I'd like you to rest. You've been through a lot...” Wanda immediately opened her mouth to protest, but knew it was of no use. While she wanted to talk about everything that had happened, Bucky was in survival mode and she knew it was his way of coping with the situation, so all she could do was let him do his thing, until he had calmed down enough to actually face her. He had failed to protect his family, in his eyes, so he had to set that right now, before he could focus on anything else. So although she didn't want to be alone, Wanda gave him a quiet nod in agreement and headed towards their bedroom, picking up Alpine on the way, to have at least one companion. Her body felt worn out and more than exhausted and all she wanted was to sleep, but her mind was still racing, processing the last couple of – days? She didn't even know how long she had been with Hydra, given they had sedated her in between.

Sitting down on the bed with Alpine, Wanda stared at her reflection in the bedroom mirror. The bruise on her cheek and her split lip stood out against the pale skin of her face, eyes rimmed red from exhaustion. Bucky had wiped the blood away, but she couldn't help but trace the remnants of it with her fingertips, down to her neck, where the collar had left burn marks. She had been through so much trauma in her life, that this felt like a minor incident, when she ignored the fact that Hydra had tried to take her baby.  
Her daughter.  
It was a girl.  
A hand came down on the swell of her stomach and she could feel tears burn behind her eyes. The little one was moving gently against her palm, as if to indicate that she was alright. Wanda could FEEL her, a living creature. Not quite thinking yet, but still alive inside of her, something which her powers could register and she just KNEW that the baby hadn't been harmed. She would have felt it otherwise. Curling up on the bed, Wanda buried her face against Alpine's snowy fur and tried to keep the tears from falling. There was no use in crying, it had happened and they had come out the other end alive, but now that she was free again, the rationalism wore off and sheer panic seemed to spread in the pit of her stomach. This could have ended terribly and it was a truth that hurt her more than she could ever tell Bucky. Their love had always been fragile, marked by the many scars they bore, but this child of theirs was sacred to them, to be protected at all cost. They had almost lost that to Hydra and it was a terrible reminder that they would never truly be free of them.   
Never.

Alpine purred softly, his nose nestling against the crook of her neck, distracting Wanda briefly from her dark thoughts. She reached up to run her fingers through his fur in a motion that calmed her more than the cat, while tears soaked the blanket on which she lay. Exhaling slowly to steady her heart a little, she closed her eyes to focus on something more positive.

The next moment – or so it seemed – she was gently awoken by a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. Startled, Wanda realized that she had fallen asleep without noticing and without dreaming, which was much appreciated. She blinked tiredly, looking up in Bucky's face, which was still serious, but a little more at ease. “Sorry I have to wake you, but I've talked to Shuri and they're happy to have us for a while. Just so we can figure out our next steps carefully. I don't feel comfortable staying here tonight, so I'd suggest we leave – if you feel up for it. How are you doing? Do you need anything?” There was so much worry in his voice that it immediately softened Wanda's dismay about having to leave the very night. The comfort of their apartment was much appreciated after the ordeal and she didn't like the idea of having to travel all the way to Wakanda now, but understood that he was right.   
“I'm fine. And sure, I'll get a bag and pack some things”, she mumbled, sitting up on the bed. When she wanted to get up, Buck held her back. “No, rest. I'll pack everything, just tell me what you'll need”, he said softly, rising to his feet from where he had crouched next to the bed. “Buck, I can do that myself. I'm not disabled”, Wanda protested with a sigh, but remained seated. “No, but you were abducted by Hydra, mistreated and hurt, which would be enough for me to make you rest, but you're also carrying our child...daughter.”  
He turned to look at her, the expression on his features unreadable.  
“I'm sorry you found out that way. I didn't really think when I said it...”, Wanda mumbled, looking down on her hands.  
“It's fine. I assume you didn't find out in a better way either”, he replied a bit tightly and she could tell it was bothering him. They had obviously imagined this to go a lot differently and the occasion to be a happier one, but it couldn't be undone. In a way, it was almost a relief to think of the baby as a girl now, because it somehow made her a little person and no longer the nameless, faceless IT growing inside of her.   
Bucky suddenly turned around on his heels and walked over to her, cupping her face in his hands, before leaning down to press a soft kiss against her forehead. He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately moved back over to their closet, so he could start packing.  
_'Give him time'_, Wanda thought to herself, knowing that he needed to come to terms with his own emotions, before he'd let her help him in any way. So she didn't press him to talk, but rather told him what to pack, as requested, making sure to think of the most important things, given her mind was a little all over the place. When they were done, Wanda took the time to shower and change, before they headed downstairs to the quinjet, where Clint and Sam were waiting for them. Clint had offered to look after Alpine for them and take him to the farm, instead of carting the poor fella off to Wakanda, where he'd probably die of a heat stroke. Wanda felt terrible about leaving him behind, as if she was abandoning her first child, for the sake of the second, but she knew he'd be living his best life at the farm, surrounded by nature and a loving family. And it was only temporarily.  
Saying goodbye was bittersweet, because they would leave Sam behind on his own now, which neither of them liked, but he kept ensuring them that he'd be alright.

When the jet finally lifted off and Wanda relaxed into a seat, she felt like leaving a piece of herself behind, just like she did when they had headed off to Wakanda to await Thanos. New beginnings and sudden changes really weren't her thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello loves! Sorry this comes a day late, but work life has got me back and on top of that, I am moving in two weeks, so there is a lot to do. I will permanently move the updating day to MONDAYS, because I'm always off then and have the mindset to write. Sundays have been long work days for me so far and I am always too tired to think. So expect new chapters each Monday from now on! Enjoy this new one, thanks for sticking with me <3


	26. Wakanda

The air was hot and dry when the ramp of the quinjet was lowered and familiarity settled in immediately. She had been here before, under very different circumstances, yet on the run as well. Back then, they were running towards the fight, now they were running away. Nonetheless – Wakanda had been a safe haven for them before and Wanda was very grateful that the same hospitality was extended again. Bucky was known here a lot better than her, so she figured Shuri had so easily accepted the request, because she had taken a liking to him a long time ago. Her work had helped him tremendously and ultimately paved the way for the relationship they led now; not always stable and idyllic, but everything they needed to take their healing a step further.

A hand on the small of her back reminded Wanda to move, as she was still standing motionless, frozen in place at the sight of the palace. Her mind had been too occupied by Thanos and their impeding doom when she had last been here and no thought had been spared for the beauty of the place. Wanda felt like stepping into another world, when she finally walked down the ramp and was greeted warmly by Shuri, who seemed to be utterly delighted about their presence.   
While Shuri started chatting with Bucky, Wanda followed quietly. The exhaustion of the last couple of days was starting to seep through and she couldn't really follow the conversation. All she wanted was to take a nap, or get a full night's sleep. At home, it would have been night now, she assumed, but it was bright day in Wakanda, much to her dismay. She figured, though, that Shuri wouldn't be mad if they just settled down for the rest of the day, after everything that had happened.

“I had a room for you set up in the palace, didn't want you out in your hut anymore, now that you're bringing Wanda. I suppose you two will want to rest, I'll send someone with food late”, Wanda heard Shuri say and her heart lightened a little at the words, relieved not to be expected to be social. Bucky hesitated, before nodding in agreement and Wanda gave the young woman a grateful smile, as they stopped in front of the room assigned to them.   
“Let me know if you'll need anything tonight. I'm going to take care of your face tomorrow”, Shuri announced with a grin and gestured towards Wanda's cheek, that was distantly throbbing, but not a big bother to her. “Thank you”, she said with another smile, before Bucky opened the door for her and she slipped inside. The room was big, modern and had a bathroom adjoined to it – everything they would need. Dropping down on the bed with a deep sigh, Wanda yawned and rubbed her eyes. Bucky leaned over her and pressed a kiss on the top of her head, before dropping their bags down next to the closet, knowing fully well that they wouldn't be unpacking anything that day. After that, he walked back over to her and dropped down next to Wanda on the bed, reaching over to take hold of her hand to lace their fingers.  
“I'd like Shuri to check you tomorrow. To see if they have caused any...damage”, he said carefully, knowing fully well that Wanda had always been suspicious towards all medical procedures after Hydra and that her distaste of it would have returned full force now. He also didn't want to pressure her in any way, but was naturally worried about her and the baby. “Okay”, Wanda simply said with a nod, understanding that he just wanted the best for her. Shuri was trustworthy, she knew that, so her fear was luckily limited for the time being. She was just glad that Bucky didn't force her that day, because all she wanted to do was rest.  
“She is okay, though. I can feel that”, she added softly, looking up to meet Bucky's gaze with a warm smile, while she moved his hand on top of her stomach, where a soft flutter underneath her skin could be felt. Bucky's tension immediately melted away and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, although she could sense the heaviness in his heart. He had almost lost this – her, their daughter – it would be a while until he could put that aside and keep the thought from surfacing, whenever he enjoyed a quiet moment with her.   
“She...”, he mumbled absentmindedly, as if he was still processing that information, but his smile widened as he looked down at the swell of her stomach, thumb gently grazing over it. A little laugh escaped his lips and Wanda looked up in surprise, seeing him wipe at his eyes. “My sisters would have been delighted. Ma always said, I'd be a good father of daughters, because of all of the practice my sisters offered. They were whirlwinds”, he chuckled, half amused about the memories, half heartbroken. None of their families were ever going to meet their daughters, because they had been long buried. That was the only thing their daughter could never have – aunts, uncles and grandparents. It was a pain that Wanda shared and she immediately wrapped her arm around his shoulder, leaning her head against it. “Guess we'll have to start thinking about a name then, eh? The peanut is more than that now and it feels a bit weird not giving her a name, I think. Especially now.” She understood what he meant. Had they lost her because of Hydra, she would have deserved a name to be remembered by. “We should”, she agreed with a nod kissed his cheek gently. “But tomorrow. I really need some sleep to keep functioning.” Life immediately returned in Bucky and he got up from the bed. “Of course. Come on, let's get you settled down”, he said, offering his hand to pull her up, so that she could take her jacket and shoes off. Wanda would have slept in them, but figured that given they were in Wakanda now, it would have proven to be a bit warm. Being the gentleman he was, Bucky helped her out of the coat, before almost bending down to take her shoes off, but reconsidered mid way, remembering that Wanda didn't appreciate it, when he overdid it. He straightened up, grinned crookedly in her direction and busied himself with hanging her coat up for no reason, while Wanda kicked her boots off and slipped under the covers. They were soft, cool and incredibly comfortable, hopefully promising a good night's rest. A moment later, Bucky joined her and pulled her close against his chest, burying his face against the back of her head.   
“I love you”, he mumbled quietly and Wanda smiled, although he couldn't see it.   
“I love you, too”, she replied, running her hand up and down his arm.

The events that had happened definitely weighed heavily on her, but she also knew that she could bear anything, as long as she had him – and the little one currently stepping on her bladder and apparently trying to get comfortable. The smile didn't leave Wanda's face, because she felt blessed to feel the unpleasant movements and tumbling in her belly, knowing that her little girl was doing okay. As long as the tiny was healthy, she'd never complain about any unpleasant symptoms, aches or restrictions.

As she slowly slipped into a deep and dreamless slumber, the last thing she was aware of, was Bucky's soft snoring next to her, which almost made her chuckle, but she was asleep, before the amusement fully formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the delay and the rather short chapter, but life is all over the place at the moment. I am moving out next week and work 45h this week, so my head is so full with everything I still need to do and can't seem to find the time for xD I will NOT be updating next Monday, because that is my last day at home before the move and I want to enjoy it with my daddio. Wifi should not be a problem at the new place, so I'll be back the Monday after, broadcasting live from my very first apartment xD ! I am sorry for the inconvenience <3 love you all! Stay healthy and safe!


	27. Of goats and other developments

Bucky woke to the sound of giggling and something wet in his face. Startled, he almost jumped up and evoked even more laughter from the kids and Wanda, who stood in some distance to him, watching with amusement as a baby goat started nibbling and licking his face out of curiosity. He had rested in the shade of a tree and apparently fallen asleep at some point, while Wanda was busy learning how to make beaded bracelets from the kids. They had both gone down to the village, where he used to live, meeting old faces and new. Many of the children that had been around back then, had been snapped as well and barely aged since he last saw them, while others were full blown teenagers by now.

Rubbing his face, he grumbled softly and furrowed his brows, looking over at the baby goat, that had proceeded to chew on his shoe laces, much to the amusement of the laughing children. Glancing over, Wanda seemed equally amused and Bucky could barely hide his own smile, glad to see her face lighten up again. They had been in Wakanda for almost two weeks now and Wanda finally seemed to relax a little. Although she had put on a brave face for Bucky, he could tell that the events had really gotten to her mentally and that she preferred to stay away from people. This was the first day she had agreed to mix with the locals and leave their rooms for once and it seemed to be doing her some good.

Reaching up, Bucky reached up and scratched the goat's head affectionately, which momentarily distracted it from his shoes, but only animated it to climb all over him instead, trying to nibble on his nose. He laughed softly and gently pushed the little creature from his lap, so that he could rise back to his feet. By the looks of it, he had been asleep for a little while, because Wanda's arms were adorned by a multitude of newly crafted bracelets and she seemed to have made good friends with the young girls of the village, who hugged her goodbye, when Bucky approached them and sent them running back to their huts, still laughing and joking about him.

“I see you're rejoicing at my misery”, he commented with a mock stern expression worn on his features, that easily faded when he spotted her broad grin. “I didn't want to interrupt your bonding moment. I think you made a new friend”, she pointed out and nodded towards the goat, that was still following him around. “I'm the goat whisperer. Always have been”, Buck joked and took hold of her hand to muster her new jewelry. “Beautiful. Have you made those all by yourself”, he teased with a smirk, eyes shining with humor. “As a matter of fact, I had a lot of help. Turns out I am not very talented at crafting. But my new little friends are. I don't speak their language, but we got along very well.” She smiled easily at him and reached up to cup his cheek, leaning over to kiss the other.

The African sun had given her pale skin a nice tan and now that the bruises on her face were fading, she looked healthier and more glowing than ever. Letting his hands rest on the sides of her belly, Bucky kissed the top of her nose in return and mustered her face affectionately. “I think you have more freckles than yesterday”, he stated softly, smile never fading from his lips. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him and whenever he thought he couldn't love her any more, he realized that there was no limit for his love for her. Watching her stand here in the light of the sinking African sun, which gave her hair the color of fire, his heart almost hurt in his chest at her sight, full of all the sincere affection he held for her. Wanda was his whole world and he was grateful that Wakanda had offered them refuge and the opportunity to hide for a while, able to focus on each other and their baby, instead of all that hunted them outside this country.

“What would Alpine think about a goat sister”, he wondered aloud, laughing softly, because the baby goat had started chewing his shoe laces again. “I don't want to rain on your parade, but I assume that a goat would not be very happy at the compound. And I also assume that Alpine considers himself to be an only child”, Wanda replied with a chuckle of her own, pulling her dress up a little, because the goat was starting to be interested in its seam. In her mind, they'd be returning to the compound soon, although she wasn't sure that Bucky shared her sentiment. He seemed at ease here in Wakanda, knowing that they'd be safe under its protection, so he could allow his guard to be down every once in a while. Back at home, he'd have to be alert 24/7 and although she didn't want that for him, Wanda missed their home. This was only a temporary solution for her, knowing they were guests and a life waited for them in the States. As much as she appreciated the safety and knew it had been the only right decision to leave, she kept thinking about everything they still had to prepare for the baby, about the empty nursery in their apartment and Alpine and Sam, the ones they had left behind. Sam checked in with them regularly and things seemed to be quiet at home, but she still felt guilty for having left him. Baby or not, they were still a team.

“Let's go back to the palace. I'm starving”, Bucky yawned and Wanda rolled her eyes at him. “First a nap, now food – sometimes I feel like I am engaged to a toddler”, she joked and poked his side as they walked, whilst simultaneously trying not to stumble over their goat friend. A girl called from a distance and the little animal perked up its head, before trotting off. “Or maybe you're a goat. Food always catches your attention.” Wanda laughed at how the baby goat sped up when a bucket of food was emptied on the ground and its dinner was threatened by all the grown goats who got there first. “A warrior needs sustenance. And so does a pregnant Lady, so dinner is a good idea either way”, he pointed out with a cocked brow, smirking slightly, before wrapping one arm around Wanda's waist.

Once they got to their quarters, dinner was already awaiting them on their dining table. Sitting down contently, Bucky immediately dug in, before Wanda was even seated. Shaking her head with a chuckle, she filled her own plate with vegetables and rice, but only absentmindedly poked around on her plate, not really eating much. She was so lost in thoughts, that she didn't even notice Bucky lowering his fork and staring across the table at her, brows furrowed.  
“Wands? Everything okay?”  
She looked up at him and he could see a rim of crimson around her iris, glowing faintly in the light of the setting sun.   
“Everything is great”, she replied, as if she wasn't aware of the obvious.  
“Your eyes...”  
She blinked confusedly and the crimson vanished, leaving Bucky confused, unsure if the light of the last sun rays had played a trick on him.   
“What about my eyes”, she inquired, frowning deeply.  
“Nevermind”, Bucky mumbled and shook his head, directing his attention back to his food, just to distract himself. Odd. He could have sworn her eyes had glowed scarlet.   
“So, I was thinking: we should start picking a name. We picked our favorites, we need to make a decision at some point.”  
His gaze rose up again and he fell back against the chair, chewing the last bit of his food thoughtfully. “Very true. But it's not an easy decision, because the kid will have to live with it for the rest of her life. I want it to be a good name.”  
“Obviously. Which is why I have reservations towards some of our options”, Wanda stated, leaning back herself and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Elaborate?”  
“As much as I originally liked the idea of giving her a name in memory of one of our family members, or friends, I'm not so sure about that anymore. It would be more for us, than for her, you know? She doesn't know those people and I don't want her to carry the burden of the dead, if that makes sense. Maybe as a middle name, but not her first name.”  
Buck nodded slowly, understanding her objection. “Yeah, that sounds like something we should consider. A child is not a living memorial. I do like the middle name idea, however. Which still doesn't narrow down the long list of ideas we have, but gives us a direction in which to look.”

Wanda laughed softly and shrugged. “Maybe we should draw matchsticks. We're pretty indecisive, I'm afraid.”   
Bucky grinned and crinkled his nose in dismay. “We can do better than that. We'll just wait until she is old enough to pick herself. Saves us the trouble of having to decide.” Both laughed, before falling silent again. Wanda reached across the table to take his hand and intertwined their fingers. “We'll find a name for our girl that will be just perfect. And in the meantime, we'll just find a name for the baby goat”, she joked, before letting go to finish her dinner. As their fingers separated, a bolt of energy shot into Bucky's arm and he twitched back, cursing.  
“I didn't mean to do that!” Wanda stared at him wide eyed, an expression of guilt on her features, irises glowing scarlet again.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the long delay of the new chapter. Moving and everything it entailed was a bit more to chew than i had anticipated and it left me with a massive writers block. But here I am again, on an off day, with the promise to return to you regularly on Mondays again! I hope everyone is well <3


	28. Symbiosis

“I'm so sorry!”  
Wanda's eyes were wide with confusion and apology, as she quickly pulled her hand back from across the table, balling it into a fist in her lap. That had never happened to her unintentionally, but she definitely hadn't planned to shock Bucky. She hadn't even felt the surge of energy coming, until it was too late. His gaze now was stern, but not because he was angry with her, but because worry was visibly etched upon his features.  
“Nothing happened, hun. Don't worry about that, just – are you okay? Your eyes are glowing red”, he remarked critically, one brow cocked.  
Wanda's eyes widened even more and she got up from her chair to storm to the next mirror, which was in their bedroom, only catching a glimpse of the fading red glow, before it vanished entirely. There was a tickling in her fingertips that she usually felt after using her powers, but other than that, she felt entirely at peace and in control. Whatever had triggered the outburst, she couldn't exactly say.   
Slowly returning back to the dining table, she lowered herself back into the chair, chewing on her bottom lip. “I don't know what just happened”, she admitted softly, running her palm over the swell of her stomach, as if to soothe the baby, although the little one was only lazily moving inside her.   
“Maybe you're just tired”, Bucky suggested with a little shrug, unsure of this could cause such a thing, but since he wasn't THAT familiar with how her powers worked, it was worth a thought. Wanda didn't seem convinced, but nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, maybe”, she mumbled in reply, not sold on the idea, but unwilling to worry him. Exhaustion had never caused her issues, at least not in the last ten years, but pregnancy could decidedly get in the way of normal reactions of her body. So she quietly finished her dinner, pondering on the incident, while Bucky remained silent as well, studying her quietly over the rim of his glass of water.

By the time a servant came in to collect the dishes, Wanda was already out of the shower and sat outside on their balcony, dressed in one of Bucky's t-shirts that were a bit oversized on her, but really comfortable during her pregnancy. She was seated cross legged on one of the sunchairs, gaze directed at the horizon. Bucky stayed inside on purpose, knowing that she sometimes preferred some space and time to herself, which Wanda appreciated. He had a natural talent for understanding when she needed to be alone with her thoughts, never invading her privacy when she needed it the most. So while he busied himself with talking to Sam at home, Wanda used the time to just admire the beauty of Wakanda and be alone with her little girl. She truly cherished the quiet moments of her pregnancy, when she could just sit and listen inside her, being one with the little creature growing in her womb. Her powers were always able to reach out and sense the baby, although it wasn't sentient yet. There were no clear thoughts formed in her mind, but Wanda knew through her powers that the peanut heard and felt, just like her. She could always feel a surge of energy, whenever Bucky was around, as it evoked something like excitement in the unborn, almost as if she knew that he was going to be a very special person in her life. When Wanda was among others, more unfamiliar people, the baby always went quiet, as if it was being suspicious, or shy.

Now that they were alone, it kicked gently against the palm of her hand, which made her smile softly. She had never expected her life to turn out this way, as if she had doubted that happiness would ever be in her cards. After all she had gone through, it felt like maybe people like her didn't deserve it. Many had died through Wanda's hand – on purpose and not – so she had always believed that her suffering stemmed from her many failures. Karma had a habit of coming around to bite you. But here she was now, alive after having died, in love and being loved in return, about to become the mother of a little miracle girl. Sometimes none of it seemed real and yet it was. So she tried to cherish it as much as possible, knowing painfully well that happiness and love could both be taken away very quickly, leaving nothing but grief. It had happened before and she didn't doubt it would happen again, the only question was when.

A movement behind her caught her attention and she looked over her shoulder to find Bucky approaching with a blanket, which he draped gently over her shoulders with a smile. “It's getting chilly out here. Thought you might want a bit of warmth.” That was his way of being kind and testing the waters, to see if she was ready for company just yet.  
Wanda returned his smile and patted the chair next to her, scooting over so they could both fit on it. He easily settled down behind her and pulled her close, hands both resting on her stomach and once more, she could feel the surge of excitement within the baby at his touch, as it eagerly moved to where his fingers lay. Settling back against his chest, Wanda relaxed and enjoyed the silence they shared, until she could feel herself dozing off, only stirring a short while later, when the warmth of the sun on her face had disappeared and darkness fell over the land stretching out before them.

They both went back inside and straight to bed, both exhausted from basically having done nothing all day.

The next morning, Bucky insisted over breakfast that Wanda saw Shuri, concerning the incident the previous night. He was not worried that something substantial was wrong with Wanda, but losing control over her powers was a dangerous thing, so they had to be mindful of warning signs. She wholeheartedly agreed and didn't even try to protest, knowing Shuri – unlike Dr. McKenzie – was entirely trustworthy and incredibly smart. She understood superhumand physique much better than anyone else Wanda knew, so if anyone was able to help, it was the Wakandan genius. There was hardly anything Shuri was bad at and Wanda admired her exceptional brain. She herself had never even properly finished school after her parents died, because the war and Hydra had interfered with that, so smart people were always admirable to her.

So after breakfast, they made their way down to the lab where Shuri spent most of her time, explaining the situation to her. She was immediately excited about the prospect of solving a mystery and asked Wanda to sit down on one of the chairs, while making sure Bucky didn't touch any of the contraptions littering the tables in the room. He was naturally attracted to weapons of all sorts and did his best not to stare at all of the futuristic looking inventions around them, trying to focus solely on Wanda and the issue at hand.   
“I'm going to draw a bit of blood for further testing and run some scans. I should have the results figured out by noon”, Shuri announced cheerfully and went to grab a syringe from a drawer, while Wanda did her best to calm her nerves. PTSD was a bitch. She knew rationally that there was nothing to fear from Shuri, since she was a FRIEND, but her recent unplanned encounter with Hydra had opened old wounds and left some new scars, which were starting to bother her, even though she was just thinking about having a blood sample taken. There were still marks from injections on her arms. Almost faded, but still faintly visible on her pale skin, which tended to heal slowly. Dr. McKenzie had been able to build a base of trust with Wanda, who had almost lost her fear of medical procedures in the care of the doctor, just to be betrayed by her in the end. So what if this was the same? People were not trustworthy.

Her pulse sped up and Bucky could sense that she was starting to be nervous, so he reached over and took her hand in his, gently squeezing it. Shuri returned that same moment and didn't seem to notice any of the tension, because she immediately tried to go to work, but when she bent down a little to put a tourniquet around Wanda's arm, both that and the syringe shot from her hands and across the room, crashing against the wall. Wanda's eyes were faintly glowing red again, although she looked just as surprised as everyone else.  
“Interesting!” Shuri didn't seem to be taken aback by it at all, but rather intrigued.   
“I'm sorry. As you can see, it doesn't happen intentionally. I didn't mean to do that”, Wanda sighed and wanted to get up to retrieve the items, but Bucky had already beat her to it. “Maybe, because you're not the one doing it”, said Shuri with a shrug, which evoked nothing but confusion from the other two.  
“What?”  
“Let me quickly test a theory here”, she said and thought for a brief second, before springing back into action. Grabbing a scalpel shaped knife from one of the tables, she quickly walked back over to Wanda, knife raised as if she was trying to stab her. Once again, the instrument flew from her hand across the room and landed with a thud. “That wasn't me either”, Wanda stated bluntly, which exited Shuri even more.

“Awesome! I'll – run a few scans, but I am pretty sure the baby is tapping into your powers to protect you.”  
“Then why did I shock Bucky?”  
“Good question. Maybe it just wanted a connection of some sort and since energy comes naturally to you, it maybe tried to maintain it with the help of the only thing available. The shock wasn't painful, was it?”

Bucky shook his head. “No, just...surprising, I guess.”  
“Exactly. Wanda could do a lot worse and WOULD do a lot worse, if she truly lost control over her powers. The behavior she exhibits now seem too harmless to be attributed to a loss of reigning in her abilities, so the source has to be elsewhere. You know me and hopefully like me to some extend – I would bet that if someone else approached you with a knife or syringe in hand, they'd be flying across the room as well.”

Wanda frowned deeply at the words and prospect presented to her. “We're talking about an unborn baby that can't think for itself yet. How would that even be possible?”  
Shuri shrugged a little.  
“Maybe it doesn't have to actively THINK about something, when your powers are intertwined through the connection you share. In a way, you're one as long as she is in your womb. And although she isn't quite able yet to make decisions of her own, it's a symbiosis where she still senses emotions in you – negative and positive – and might reinforce certain reactions in you. Don't forget that you're no ordinary person and your baby is no ordinary unborn. It might be strange, but I've seen weirder shit, be sure of that.”

The young woman hovered a tablet over Wanda for a moment, then packed it away. “All done. I'll give you the results later! There is nothing on my agenda today, so all my time will be dedicated to solving this puzzle and I am very pleased about that. Bucky, put the blaster down, no touchy touchy. Out with you two, I need time to think and to blast some ACDC to further my thought process.”

Bucky looked caught and swiftly put the weapon down he had picked up, when the women talked, walking back over to help Wanda up from her chair.

“Thank you, Shuri”, she said genuinely, before leaving the room with Buck, catching the faint sound of loud music, when the doors slid shut behind them.

“I have a vague feeling that life will continue to be quite interesting with that child of ours”, Bucky chuckled and glanced over at her. Children were always a big change in ones lifestyle, but theirs wasn't just an ordinary kid, but one with special powers as well, as it seemed.  
“I'm quite pleased about this, to be honest. You better don't mess with me, or the baby will zap you again”, Wanda joked in return, nudging his side as they walked back to their quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey lovely people, i am so incredibly sorry for the long wait, but i was too optimistic when i thought i could just move and go right back to the usual business. although i have settled in quite nicely, the stress of the last week has left me with writers block and although I always WANTED to write, i never quite found the right words, or was just too tired. but i am back to my old routine ( or so I hope ) and i hope you'll like the new chapter <3 stay safe and wear a mask


	29. Home

“Keep your eyes closed”, Bucky ordered, gently steering Wanda forwards with a hand on the small of her back and one on her elbow. It made her feel insecure to be reliant on his guidance, knowing that a fall wouldn't be good at nine months pregnant now, but she trusted Bucky nonetheless. “Come on, Buck. Where are we and what is this?”

She wasn't exactly fond of surprises, although it always made her happy to see Bucky excited, whenever he wanted to do something special for her. They had recently returned from Wakanda to the compound and although they had spoken with Fury and decided that their stay would be temporary, since their priorities had shifted to their little family, it was good to be back. Wakanda had been a more than pleasant experience and they both owed so much to Shuri and T'challa, but Wanda never forgot that they were guests and not at home there.   
“We made it three steps out of the car and you're already impatient”, Buck stated with mock exasperation, a soft chuckle escaping his lips, when he finally stopped her.  
“Alright, open your eyes.”

Wanda did as she had been told and blinked against the sudden daylight, the warm August sun high in the sky. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the light, brows furrowing into a frown. They were standing in front of the safe house they had first used before moving into the compound.   
“Are we on another get away to the countryside?”  
She looked over at Buck and smiled softly, slightly confused when he shook his head. “No, this, my darling, is our new home. I kept it from the list of potential safe houses for us to permanently stay in, so you wouldn't automatically pick it, because I had already started to renovate the place, so we could move in.” He was obviously pleased with himself and Wanda squealed in reply, flinging her arms around his neck.  
This was the place where they had spent the happiest moments she could remember, as well as all the important firsts in their relationship, so knowing they were to live here and be able to raise their daughter was a dream come true.  
“You're way too good at secrecy, Mr. Barnes”, she laughed and kissed his cheek, then heading off towards the front door. The place looked less run down than it had the last time they visited, with a freshly painted railing around the front porch and a new door. Bucky followed her and wrapped his arm back around her waist, smiling. “It needed a bit of patching up and paint, but I'd dare say it will be a good home to the three of us. Four, sorry Alpine”, he added quickly, when the cat came strolling over from the corner of the porch, happy to greet his humans. He had kept Bucky company during the hours he spent working on the house, exploring the old neighborhood as if he had never left. This was the place where he had been found and come from, so it was easy for him to settle back into life here.  
“Come on, I'll show you the inside. I changed up a few things, to make it more family friendly.” Wanda grinned with anticipation and followed him quickly inside, eyes scanning the familiar surrounding. The entry hall and living room were the exact same, so was the kitchen it seemed, which she only got a glimpse of, as Buck lead her upstairs. There, everything had been changed up from last time they had been here over Christmas. The bedroom they had always used had new, more modern and less dusty furniture, a beautiful big bed and a stain free carpet that Wanda had recently showed Bucky online, wanting to buy it for the new home – not knowing that he had already picked the place for them.   
“As you can see, I updated the bedroom a little. The shower is now working as well, so no more cold showers at six in the morning”, he joked, while Wanda was exploring the inside of the bedroom, loving everything he had done to it. “I hope you're not mad I picked the house without asking. But I knew you always loved the place and it holds a lot of...memories for us. Maybe it was always meant to be our forever home”, he said softly, looking slightly worried when Wanda faced him. “Why would I ever be mad? This is the first place that ever felt like home to me after Sokovia. And just like you said, it was always where we were the happiest. So you're absolutely right, I would have chosen it over every other safe house on the list.”  
She gave him a wide, reassuring smile, then pointed at a small door, adjoining their bedroom to where Sam had slept during his time at the house. “I guess that is no longer Sam's room?”  
Buck grinned and shook his head. “Since it is connected to ours, I thought it was just logical to make it the nursery. I didn't do too much to the room, because I know you've been dying to decorate it, once we have a set house to live in. So it's just the furniture from the compound and the insane amount of baby clothes you have accumulated over the past months.” Another laugh erupted from his throat and Wanda joined in easily. She had potentially gone a bit overboard with the baby shopping, but it was their first baby and therefore special. The uncertainty of the last months had also led her to compensate her anxiety with buying baby accessorizes. Walking over into the nursery, she ran a hand over the crib they had assembled weeks ago, a happiness in her heart that almost brought tears to her eyes. In a short time from now, their little girl would be with them, sleeping in that very bed, in the house she had always dreamed to inhabit. As much as she felt the weight of leaving the Avengers behind in favor of their family, it was the right decision for the at the moment and she hoped desperately that they would be safe here and never had to leave again.

“Oh, you bet I'll be in this room for the next couple of days to set everything up! All my Pinterest boards have to fulfill a purpose finally”, she joked and wrapped her arms around Bucky, eyes still trained on the crib. His hand landed on the swell of her stomach and she could feel his lips press a kiss to the crown of her head.   
“Can't wait for that little, protective Lady of ours to be here. I'm sure she'll love the room you'll set up for her”, he said softly, leaning into her embrace for a moment. “Come on, there is more to see”, he finally urged and led her out of the room, down the hall. “I thought an upstairs laundry room would be good for young parents with a baby – lots of messes from what I have heard. So that is in here now, instead of that weird storage room that no one really needed up here. Then we have the former third bedroom, which I turned into our office – with a kid proof lock, so we can do our Avengers work behind locked doors and keep our kids out of it.”

Wanda followed and looked at everything with admiration, absolutely stunned and happy about what he had put together. Then she cocked a brow. “Kids?”  
Bucky turned around briefly and waved a hand.  
“As if we're going to stop at one. This house is made for kids to play in and I'm sure we'll fill it”, he laughed and shrugged, looking to utterly pleased with himself that Wanda just shook her head, smirking. He was right, of course. Now that Ella was almost there, she could no longer envision having just one child in the future. As long as they pulled it off and remained hidden and safe at the house, there was no reason to stop at one.   
“Everything is perfect. Thank you so much for doing this, Buck. There's no place I'd rather live”, she finally said and pulled him in for a kiss, arms wrapping around his neck to pull him down. He returned the kiss deeply, almost tempted to sweep her up, but remembering that this had become a bit harder with her belly in the way. Slowly letting go, he brushed a strand of hair behind Wanda's ear.  
“Why don't you get started in the nursery, while I bring out stuff inside? The vast amount of packages you ordered for the room are in the closet, so you're ready to go.”  
Wanda huffed excitedly and disappeared into the small room right away, ready to finally unpack everything and create a place to welcome their baby in. It didn't take her long to be surrounded by torn boxes, sitting on the floor and sorting through the baby clothes she had to wash, as well as the decorations she had bought recently. Bucky glanced into the room every once in a while, but otherwise let her do her thing until dinner time arrived, surprised by how much she had achieved until then. There were a couple of shelves he had to hang up in the morning, but otherwise the room was a beautiful nursery dream of pastel colors and small details that showed how much thought Wanda had put into designing the place. A wooden sign with the baby's name hung over the bed and Bucky's eyes trailed over it briefly, as he leaned in the doorway to ask Wanda what she wanted to eat. Across the hall, he could hear the dryer run, most likely filled with baby clothes that could then go straight into the closet.

“Since we haven't gone grocery shopping yet, you can choose between...box mac and cheese and frozen pizza”, he announced, making Wanda laugh softly. “Perfect first meal in our first home. I'm opting for pasta”, she chose and reached up, so Bucky could help her to her feet, which had become ridiculously hard at the last stage of her pregnancy.

They went downstairs together and sat on the front porch to eat, watching the sun set behind the trees of the surrounding woods. This place was heaven and much like Clint's farm, removed enough from the world to feel like nothing could touch them here. That was probably not true, but according to Bucky, Shuri had placed tons of security around the area, so that they would never be surprised by intruders.   
That night, as they went to bed at their new home for the first time, they were up for hours, planning swings in the backyard and vegetable gardens behind the shed, summer birthday parties for their little girl and maybe a small pool in the future. It was such a normal, blissfully harmless late night conversation, that one could almost forget the troubles of the past months, as well as the fact that they were anything, but ordinary.

Bucky was up a bit longer than Wanda that night, holding her tightly and feeling the baby move lazily under the palm of his hand. There had been several instances of zapping lately, most often when he had dared to let go of Wanda's belly, whenever the baby had wanted him to remain close. It was the first sign of 'affection' his daughter had showed him and although Shuri hadn't been fully able to explain the exact way the baby's powers worked, it was beautiful to Bucky. Knowing his child would have a piece of her mother, so unique and extraordinary that it already worked in the womb, was fascinating and awe inspiring to him. His abilities were different and most likely not hereditary, so he was curious to learn what their little girl would be capable of while growing up. There were so many adventures to come for them and he was more than ready.

He had just drifted off to sleep, when he felt Wanda stir next to him. He let go of her, assuming she wanted to turn around, or go pee – which had become a regular thing at night – rolling onto his side. It was only when he woke again a long time later with a start, that he realized she was still out of bed. Immediately, he got up himself and searched for her, finding the downstairs light on in the kitchen, which calmed his instant worry.  
Wanda stood hunched over the kitchen table when he entered, startled by his appearance in the doorway.  
“I realized you weren't in bed anymore. Is everything okay?”  
She looked up at him, expression slightly pained.  
“I think I'm having contractions.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! it's another sunny monday and time for a new chapter! i hope you like it and are just as excited for next week as i am! just fyi, i made a twitter account for my writing escapades, where i'll accept prompts and post other updates ( in case i go mia again, i'll let you know there, for example ), so if you'd like to be up to date, go follow brckenmartyr on the bird site. Love you all <3


	30. The day everything changed

Bucky's mind was drowsy enough to be incapable of processing the information quickly. Instead, he lingered in the doorway, staring blankly at Wanda, who expected some kind of reaction, but it took him a moment to fully grasp what she had said. When he did, though, his eyes widened in horror and he sprung into action immediately.

“What?! Right now? But it's too early! I haven't even done all the baby laundry yet you gave me”, he rambled, obviously still slightly confused by the late hour and the surprise of finding her like this. Unlike him, Wanda was very calm and collected for the time being, knowing that freaking out would not do them any good. She had been up for a while now, taking notice of the changes happening in her body. The pain had been preceded by restlessness that drove her from their bed and into the kitchen, where she enjoyed a cup of tea, before the cramps started. Mild at first, but soon picking up in intensity. Not to the point where she would have woken up Bucky, because she wasn't _entirely_ sure that this was the real deal, but now that he was awake anyway, she had to explain her reason for being up at 3am. The panic in his eyes made her wish he had stayed asleep, however, and Wanda immediately reached out to stop him by the shoulders when he hurried over to him.

“Buck, breathe. All is good. I'm not even sure this is the real deal, so let's just go back to bed and see what happens.” He deflated slightly under her touch, shoulders slumping down a little. It was obvious how tired he still was, albeit the early morning shock, and that he was definitely not fond of the idea of just waiting around. “We should take you to a doctor...or something”, he mumbled in disagreement, realizing they had never actually looked for another one since Dr. McKenzie turned out to be a Hydra fraud. That knowledge woke him up even more and Wanda could feel him tense. “We don't have a doctor”, he stated, staring blankly at her.  
That was indeed a knowledge that had not escaped Wanda, but unlike Bucky, he saw the situation a lot more relaxed, apparently. As the person who had been betrayed by her doctor recently and someone who was generally not extremely comfortable around med staff, she had started researching all the necessities early on in her pregnancy, to keep a home birth an option for them. The opportunity to talk to Bucky about it had never presented itself so far, but this was as good a time as ever, Wanda reckoned.

“Well, funny you say that, because I actually kind of prepared for that case”, Wanda said sweetly, an apologetic look on her face, knowing fairly well that it would freak Bucky out even more. He was a control freak, someone who needed to have everything in order to feel comfortable and this was definitely a situation he couldn't control. Wanda understood that he wanted her and the baby to be the safest they could be, so she would have always agreed to do this with a doctor present, but since McKenzie turned out to be infiltrating them for weeks, she was very much done with strangers. Especially entrusting them with their child. There was no one else they personally knew and could trust, so she really saw no other option.   
Her words took a moment to sink in for Bucky, who seemed to be fighting with himself. His mouth opened slightly, before he closed it again and set his jaw, the hands hanging by his side closing into fists.  
“Okay”, he said with a curt nod and took a deep breath. “Okay. Tell me what needs to be done.” Wanda's brows furrowed into a frown, because she had already mentally prepared herself for a fight and discussion over this, knowing that her idea was the exact opposite of what Buck would have wanted. No safety net, no one to help them if things went wrong – it was a risky business, given they were first time parents and genetically modified, but Wanda was willing to take the leap of faith. “You don't have to agree for my sake, Buck. Your feelings are just as valid as mine. I know you'd feel better if we were at a hospital, with experienced doctors around. This is a first for us and things aren't as ordinary as for other people either, so I totally understand that”, she said softly and rubbed her hands up and down his arms. He felt stiff and tense, but he smiled slightly down at her.  
“Yeah, I'd feel better, I'm not gonna lie. But I also don't feel safe there either, after McKenzie. It's so hard to know who to trust anymore. If we just walk into a regular hospital, we could be seen by the wrong people, who could potentially inform Hydra. I want both of you to be safe and although this makes me extremely uncomfortable, I feel like we're safer here than anywhere else – as long as everything goes well without complications.”  
The nervousness was audible in his voice, but Wanda was eternally grateful that he could see her point in this and felt the same way. She was worried as well that something could go wrong, but she just wanted to trust in her body and the knowledge she had accumulated throughout the months and hope that it would be alright.  
“There is a tiny hospital only 15 minutes from here. We live in the middle of nowhere and the place looks like it has five beds, but if anything seems to be wrong, we can go there immediately. There is no guarantee that we can trust those people there, but if the worst case happens, we'll just have to be extremely careful and on guard. But for now, I'd prefer to stay here.”  
“Alright, I agree. Whatever you need”, Bucky replied and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I really don't deserve you”, she mumbled and closed her eyes for a moment, before she broke free from him and walked back to her cup of tea.   
“I think I'll need something stronger than tea now”, Bucky joked and nodded towards her mug, running a hand through his mussed hair. The unease was still visible in his movements, but Wanda knew he was trying his best to seem relaxed for her. At least for the time being, there wasn't much to be nervous about. The pain was still more than bearable and many minutes apart, so her suggestion to go back to bed had not been a joke.  
“Please don't already get drunk. It's gonna be a long day and I'm sure your nerves will get worse than right now, so save some for later”, she chuckled and took the last sip from her tea. “I'm going to go lay back down and get some more rest as long as I can. Are you gonna come?”  
Bucky shook his head and shrugged slightly. “I'm gonna stay up and...google, or something. I don't think I'll be able to lay still right now, but I'll be right here if you need me, okay? Go get some rest.” Wanda smiled over at him and nodded, before leaving the kitchen and slowly making her way back upstairs, where she curled up on her bed and sighed heavily. She wasn't really ready for this to already happen, not the first night in their new house, but that baby of theirs had a mind of her own, it seemed. Now that they were in their permanent home, there had been no reason for the little one to stay in any longer.

In the kitchen, Bucky stared at the wall for a long moment, trying to order his thoughts. He was freaking out. Home births had been pretty normal in the time and place he was born, but that had been decades ago. He had no actual knowledge about what to do, how to help Wanda and how to react if things went sideways. Hell, he didn't even know how to detect any issues. Was it too late now to learn everything possible about this? Most likely. He walked into the living room nonetheless and opened his laptop, starting to do some research, in order to keep his mind occupied and from going to places he didn't want to visit. This wasn't about him. It was about keeping Wanda comfortable and safe and bringing their child into the world in the best way possible. He had to pull himself together somehow.

Next time he was distracted from his screen, he realized that the sun had come up. It was almost seven and Wanda hadn't resurfaced, which suddenly worried him, so he hurried up the stairs to check on her, but she seemed to be sound asleep. Maybe this was a false alarm and they had more time to mentally prepare for the worst case scenario. Sneaking back downstairs, he realized how sore he was and how tired, so he made some coffee and searched the fridge for something to eat, settling with a carrot, because they hadn't gone shopping yet. Now was probably the wrong time to get something at the store, so carrot it was.

He had just sat back down on the couch with her coffee, when he heard Wanda curse upstairs and knock something over. Bucky sprang to his feet immediately and ran back up, heart hammering in his chest. “You okay??” She stood next to their bed, a water bottle from her night stand knocked over, but seemingly alright. “My water just broke”, she told him dryly, which evoked a chuckle. “Yeah, I see that. You're clumsy”, he teased her, bending down to pick up the shards from the broken bottle. “Not THAT water”, Wanda hissed, one hand supporting her belly. “I mean, that water as well, but...”, she drifted off, features contorting in pain. Bucky looked up, frowning, before the words made sense and his eyes widened. “Oh shit! So this is not a drill, it's the real deal! Okay! We can do this, tell me what you need? Pants, yeah, that would be good. You're wet”, he muttered, dropping the shards of glass back on the floor in his confusion and shuffling over to their closet. Wanda would have laughed, hadn't she been in so much pain out of a sudden. She had napped one minute, peacefully unaware of what was going on, then woken up to intense cramping and the sensation of peeing herself. Hydra had taught her a high tolerance of pain, so she wasn't too surprised to have slept this long without being startled, but now she wished she had been awake for longer and felt the pain coming, instead of being overwhelmed by it right away.

Bucky handed her a pair of his sweat pants, knowing hers didn't fit anymore. “Do you need help?” Wanda shook her head and grabbed the pants, starting to shrug hers off. “No, but there is still glass on the floor”, she pointed out with a crooked grin, sitting back down on the edge of the bed to change out of her pj pants easier.   
“Oh shoot”, Bucky mumbled, remembering that he had been in the middle of cleaning that up, and went back to work. The next hours passed like a blur. He could see that Wanda was struggling as the pain intensified and the breaks between contractions grew shorter, but he had never been prouder of her. She was so calm and collected, although this was her first baby and he could only guess that she, too, was worried and nervous about it all. But she handled the situation with so much grace and strength that he felt empowered by her demeanour and a lot less insecure about it all. It was going to be okay, one way or another. They had gone to war together, so they could most definitely get through this as well.

By eight thirty, Wanda couldn't move around anymore, because the pain was so intense. She didn't complain, however, and still found moments to encourage and comfort him, something Bucky endlessly cherished. This woman right here was his whole world and he couldn't even wrap his mind around all the various emotions he felt when thinking about their daughter entering the world soon. For so many decades he had been cold, merciless, void of all emotions – now he felt everything too much sometimes, as it seemed. Watching Wanda struggle with pain and ensuring her that she was doing amazing and it would be over soon, almost brought tears to his eyes already and he realized he'd probably be a bit of a mess, once their little girl was there. And he'd be the one to deliver her. Something that had terrified the living hell out of him a couple of hours ago, suddenly felt like the biggest blessing he could ever experience in this life.

***

Silence had fallen over their bedroom, where moments ago the noise had scared Apline downstairs to hide under the couch. Wanda sat slumped against the headboard, sweat still covering her skin, a hand coming up to wipe tears from her flushed cheeks. Bucky was seated right next to her, tears staining his own face, as he gently cradled the tiny little girl in his arms, who had just entered the world. He couldn't tell what time it is, or anything else about the outside world, for that matter. Nothing was important, except for the two most important people in his life, who were right here with him. Wanda reached over and stroked the baby's cheek, smiling softly when she twitched a bit and snuggled closer against Bucky's chest. She looked so much like him, already. Dark hair, bright blue eyes – definitely her daddy's girl.   
“Thank you”, Wanda whispered and leaned her head against Bucky's shoulder, who had been absolutely amazing these past few hours. His reluctance and worry had dissipated the second things got serious and he had supported her without hesitation. She was definitely glad that he had a metal arm, because otherwise she might have broken a couple of fingers in between, but here they sat now, holding the most precious thing ever granted to them.  
“No, thank YOU. For her, for us, for...giving me this life I never dared to dream of. When I fell from that train, I thought...”, he choked on his words a little and swallowed. “I thought everything was over. That I would never have a future. I didn't die, but when I escaped Hydra and was regaining some of my older self, I still thought there was no going back from who I had become. That I was a monster and would never lead a normal life ever again. But you taught me that I could be more than my past and deserved more than I allowed myself to have. I owe you everything”, he whispered and looked up at her, tears filling his eyes again. Wanda reached out to stroke his cheek smiling under tears of her own.  
“You deserve the world, Bucky Barnes, and I will always give you everything I have to show you how much you mean to me. I never knew anything, but war. You're the first person who brought me peace and stayed.”  
He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, before looking down at their little girl again.  
“Welcome to the world, Ella Katerina Barnes. You're so loved. Ella means _beautiful_ in the language of my ancestors, because you are the most beautiful gift that has ever been given to us. Katerina means _pure_ in the language of your mama's people, because you're the purest form of the love we share. You'll always be safe with us.” He shifted slightly and carefully laid the small infant down on Wanda's chest, so he could snuggle up to the two of them, running a gentle hand up and down the small back of the baby, while interlacing his metal fingers with Wanda's.  
This day had changed _everything_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I know I failed miserably on Monday again, but somehow....I wanted this chapter to be good, because it was the culmination of it all, so to say. I just couldn't find the right words and get in the right mindset and I am still not sure this is 100% what I wanted it to be, but I hope you all still like it. I know a lot of you wanted them to name their baby after one of the fallen ones, but I felt like they are the personification of a new beginning after all the war and heartache, so their baby should embody that. I hope you can live with that :D let me know what you think! 30 chapters you guys! I never thought this would ever turn into such a long, lovely story. Thank you for everyone who has been with me since chapter one and still reads it. Means the world to me <3


	31. Epilogue

Both Bucky's and Wanda's faces radiated infinite happiness, as they beamed down at the chubby toddler sitting in a high chair. “Happy birthday, baby girl”, Wanda cheered, setting a cake down in front of the wide eyed little girl, who was no longer their teeny tiny baby, but officially a one year old on this fine day. Ella's hand immediately went out to dig into the cake and the frosting was soon smeared all over her face, the adults around her laughing at the contentment on her face. Everyone was there: uncle Clint and aunt Laura, her 'cousins', uncle Sam and Steve, hell, even Fury had sent a package, which had quickly disappeared in the space under the stairs, because neither Wanda, nor Bucky, trusted him to make child safe gift options. Bucky settled into a chair next to his daughter and brushed a strand of unruly dark curls from her face, before any frosting could end up in her hair, smiling brightly at his happy little girl. There were presents stacked on a table in the background and although Ella didn't understand the concept of birthdays just yet, she realized that everyone around her was having a good time, so she was in a great mood as well. She clapped her little hands and reached out for uncle Steve, so he'd pick her up, which he immediately did – meaning frosting was soon coating the shoulders of his shirt. He didn't mind one single bit.

The scene of sheer happiness froze, as Ella pushed the button on the remote control, stopping the video. “That was my last birthday with you and I don't even remember it”, she said, thoughtfully, blue eyes wandering over to the man sitting on the floor next to her. He was much younger again now, a spitten image of the idol she knew from posters and old videos – and her dad's pictures, of course. “It wasn't, silly”, he said with a gentle smile, pointing towards the party hat she was wearing. “I was here every single one that followed, even back when you couldn't see me yet. All eleven of them.” He couldn't quite fathom that she was turning twelve today. Where had time gone? Then again, time was only a foreign concept for him anymore. “I know, but it's not the same, really. I can't talk to you, when the others are around and you're not there to them”, she said with a sigh, looking towards the door, because she heard floor boards creak close to her room. Someone was coming, most likely to make her come downstairs and greet her party guests. “But you can talk to me here, when it's just the two of us. Isn't that nice as well?”   
“Yes. I like that, too.”  
The door opened and Bucky peered inside, finding Ellas sitting on the floor in front of her TV, apparently skipping through old home videos. His gaze only briefly flickered to the image of Steve with Ella on his arm and he felt a tug at his heart at the memory of it. He still missed his best friend dearly.  
“Who were you talking to”, he asked with a smile, sitting down next to Ella.  
“No one. Just myself, really. Is everyone there already?”  
Bucky wrapped his arm around his not-so-little girl and kissed the top of her head. “Not yet, but Lila is asking for you. She brought some...nail stuff you wanted to try”, he told her, knowing that even after twelve years of being a girl dad, it was still a foreign concept to him that make up and nail polish were suddenly totally cool to Ella and she was becoming more interested in teeny things. “COOL!”, she exclaimed and jumped up from the floor, running towards the door and almost knocking into her mom, who was in the process of entering. “Hi Ellie, bye Ellie”, she chuckled and watched the girl run downstairs in excitement, sighing a bit. “Twelve, huh? I guess you'll better get the shotgun ready to scare off her first boyfriend”, Wanda joked, wrapping her arms around Buck's middle when he approached her. He grimaced and crinkled his nose. “She can only get a boyfriend, if we let her out of the house. I thought about building a high tower with no stairs, what do you think?”  
They both laughed and left the room to follow Ella and start the birthday party. In a corner of the bedroom, Steve watched them leave and smiled, because in the end, his best friend had gotten exactly what he deserved all the time and he couldn't have been happier for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys <3 so this is it, the conclusion of it all. Thank you to everyone who stayed with me from beginning to the end, I hope you enjoyed this lovely adventure as much as I did. I loved each and every comment you left me and feel so blessed that I got so much great feeback <3 i absolutely appreciate you guys and I was wondering if maybe you'd be up for a little sequel ^^ ? Let me know in the comments, if you'd like to learn more about Ella and want to go on a new adventure with me

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I don't know if there are any fellow winterwitch lovers out there, but here is my first real attempt at writing a shippy thing xD bear with me haha. Let me know if you enjoy this short introduction and I'll make sure to leave you a new chapter asap


End file.
